


No Feeling is Final

by LeChatNoir1918



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Modern AU, Rated E for future chapters, and then there’s lots of fluff and smut I promise, because they argue, mentions of coronavirus, or maybe Friends to Not-Friends to Friends to Lovers, quarantine fic, should you feel anxious about that topic atm, the first third is them actually working things out, the last two thirds are just fluff and smut I'd say, the quarantine shenanigans I wish I'd had, though the first few weeks of mine were pretty great, very briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:41:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 71,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23487001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatNoir1918/pseuds/LeChatNoir1918
Summary: Phryne and Jack are quarantined together after coming into contact with a confirmed coronavirus case. A dream come true, if they hadn’t had a falling out a month prior and haven’t spoken to each other in weeks. Will they resolve their issues and enjoy quarantine together? (Spoiler alert, yes they will)
Relationships: Phryne Fisher & Jack Robinson, Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 452
Kudos: 307
Collections: QuarantApril





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let me start by saying that I am in no way, shape, or form trying to make light of the current global situation. My heart goes out to all of those affected, whether by the various restrictions being imposed or by the virus itself. 
> 
> The focus of this fic is very much supposed to be on Phrack and their relationship, as well as having them confined to close quarters with each other. I understand that some people might take issue with me using coronavirus to facilitate all of this, in which case I would suggest steering clear of this fic.
> 
> And another quick disclaimer: I had the idea for writing this around the middle of March and this fic takes place then. There were almost no restrictions in place in Australia at that time, which is why I have left it that way for the purpose of this fic as well. Obviously now, the situation looks a bit different, meaning that Phryne and Jack would be staying at their respective homes, self-isolating.
> 
> In other news, Miss_Ash is currently writing an AMAZING quarantine fic, called “Futile the Winds”, which you should definitely check out for some rather brilliant Phrack flirting and banter.  
> (in the notes of that fic she mentioned that my quarantine fic would be fluffier and smuttier, and it must be her angsty influence rubbing off on me because this first chapter doesn’t have much of either fluff or smut). 
> 
> So while this first chapter is somewhat angsty, rest assured that things will be looking up in the next few chapters.... the rating of this fic was not chosen by accident. 😄 
> 
> The title is a line from Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Go to the Limits of Your Longing.”
> 
> And with all of that said, I hope you enjoy!

This was not at all how Jack had imagined his day going. Just a few hours before he had received a call from his supervisor, informing him that the burglar Jack had arrested a few days before was infected with the virus currently sweeping across the globe. And now Jack was sitting next to Phryne at the end of a hospital corridor, the murmur of voices around them accompanied by the constant tapping of her heel against the linoleum floor. They had been waiting for a solid 30 minutes and Phryne‘s impatience was beginning to affect Jack as well. 

“Miss Fisher,” he grumbled and Phryne huffed at his formal addressing of her. She’d finally gotten him to call her Phryne after months of working together and now… well now everything was different, anyway. 

“Yes, _Inspector_?” She snapped at him, making sure to put emphasis on his title.

Jack ignored the provocation and signaled to her leg. “Would you mind?”

“Why sure, Jack, let me know if there’s anything else bothering you about me, will you?” She was being petty, Phryne knew, but she couldn’t help herself.

The thing was, Jack _had_ let her know what bothered him about her, in great detail in fact. 27 days ago, not that she was counting. He had pointed out her shortcomings with a deadly accuracy, fueled by anger and concern (and alcohol) but his words had stung nevertheless. More than stung, in fact. But fine, he could have it his way. If he didn’t want anything to do with her, if she was too much trouble for him, then she was _more_ than happy to let him get on his way. 

Jack muttered a most uncharacteristic curse under his breath and they fell silent again, both stubbornly staring down the busy hallway as the bouncing of Phryne’s leg continued, now more out of pettiness than actual impatience. Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath to keep his composure. She really was the most infuriating person he’d ever come across. Infuriating and stubborn and contrary and intelligent and beautif... his eyes snapped back open and he pushed the thought from his brain. Best not to fantasize about something that was never going to happen now.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and shot out his hand, pushing down firmly on Phryne’s leg, halting her movements. She jerked her head at him in surprise, her eyes wide with offense. Jack was catapulted back to her apartment, a memory he had desperately tried to suppress for the past month. Her eyes had been wide, then, too, blazing with anger and surprise and hurt as he had gone on his drunken tirade. Jack didn’t remember all he had said, and afterwards had been to embarrassed to ask, the only memory clear in his mind the way Phryne had looked at him. She had hurled a few of her own opinions about his character at him before screaming at him to get out with teary eyes but with her chin held high. 

Now, Phryne looked almost as furious as she had back then, but before she could open her mouth to speak, a nurse suddenly appeared before them. 

“Mr. Robinson, Miss Fisher? You can come through now.”  
  
  


***

The actual procedure took about 20 seconds for the two of them combined, the nurse taking skin samples from their noses and mouths, reaching uncomfortably far with her cotton swab. Phryne watched Jack flinch as the swab hit the back of his nose with a mixture of petty satisfaction and concern, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach as the nurse labeled their samples before turning to address them. 

“Results will take about 48 to 72 hours to come back, at which point we’ll give you a call to let you know. Until then, you’ll need to self-isolate.” The nurse went on to explain what exactly that entailed and Jack found himself glancing over at Phryne who was listening to the nurses words with a worried look on her face. He had missed looking at her.

“What if the test comes back positive?” 

“I’ll be honest with you, even a negative test result doesn’t guarantee that you are not infected,” the nurse stated. “So in any case, I would recommend self-isolating for 14 days, as best as you can of course. And if the test comes back positive, we’ll have to monitor the situation more closely.”

***

“Dot, there’s no need to worry,” Phryne had her phone wedged between her cheek and her shoulder while she dug around in her handbag for her car keys. 

“I… no, I know she is. Yes, I’m aware, I’ll talk to her. Well, she’ll just have to deal with it, won’t she, she’s an adult after all. Yes, alright, you too, talk to you soon.”

With that, Phryne hung up on her assistant and turned around to face Jack. He was leaning against the wall of the lift, texting someone on his phone. Phryne found herself leaning forward on instinct, curious at to who it was before remembering herself and pulling back. Just then, the lift dinged to signal their arrival in the car park and they exited, Jack’s attention still on his phone. Phryne found herself getting increasingly annoyed. It was all wrong. 

She really had been perfectly happy this past month, without his constant nagging, his exasperated sighs, his reprimands of her behavior. The lack of investigating had been change of pace for her, of course. She had had time to connect with friends she hadn’t talked to in a while, had gone brunching more times than she could count and had spent most of her evenings at home or out with Mac. 

Frankly, she had been bored out of her mind.

Which was why, when one of her friends had casually brought up the topic of a string of burglaries in her neighbourhood, Phryne had been intrigued. How was she to know that when she went to stake out the neighbourhood at night she would come across one of the burglars just as he was fleeing from police? She had tripped the masked man, naturally, keeping him pressed to the ground until the police caught up. And she really couldn’t have anticipated that out of all the cops in the city, Jack would be the one running around the corner. 

“Fancy seeing you here,” She had quipped, much more light-hearted than she felt. Jack’s faltering steps as he realized _who_ was kneeling on top of his suspect had brought Phryne only momentary satisfaction, her own heart skipping a beat as he came closer. Because maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny part of her that had missed him. Their banter, their post-case drinks, which had become a regular occurrence over the past few months, his steady presence by her side. 

They hadn’t really talked much while Jack had arrested the man. And neither of them had really paid much attention to the man’s cough, both too busy avoiding each other’s eyes. A gruff “I can take it from here” had marked the end of their meeting and then, without so much as a thank you, Jack had been gone again.  
  


***

Phryne suddenly realized that they were still standing in front of the lift doors and cleared her throat. She wasn’t sure what she wanted his reaction to be but she knew that she was tired of him ignoring her. Jack raised his head at the sound, his eyes unreadable. She wished she could see his mouth, hidden underneath a face mask like the one she was wearing now. His mouth never failed to give away his feelings to her, no matter how subtle the movements may have looked to others. But then again, Phryne had made somewhat of a study of Jack’s micro-expressions over the past year. Her gaze drifted down to where his lips would be, were they uncovered, and she blinked when she realized what she was doing, raising her eyes back to his.

“Sorry,” Jack said and tucked his phone into his back pocket, focusing his attention on her. 

“Right, so this is a fucking mess,” Phryne stated, gesturing into the air. 

“A mess you wouldn’t be in if you weren’t so fond of interfering in police business,” Jack pointed out, rather unnecessarily, she felt.

“Interf…. That man would have gotten away if I hadn’t stopped him!” Phryne shot back.

“That’s beside the point.”

“Is it?? Because I think that you would have been pretty lost without me,” Phryne stated, a look of challenge in her eyes. The blue of her irises sparkled at him, the intensity in them emphasized by the mask covering the lower half of her face. She knew that he was more than capable of handling investigations on his own, Jack’s competence was one of the things that had drawn her to him in the first place, but she couldn’t resist provoking him.

Jack took a deep breath and was about to retort when Phryne’s phone rang.

“Yes?” Phryne answered the call rather harshly, turning away from him. “Mum? Whose phone are you calling from? The neighbour across the… mum you know you can charge your phone when it runs out of battery.”

Jack observed the back of Phryne’s head as she spoke, the familiarity in the way she exasperatedly flung an arm up and let it drop back down to her hip bringing an involuntary smile to his face.

“No I don’t… I don’t know mum, we have to self-isolate until we get the test results back, at least. I’ll talk to Dot about bringing by shopping and… what? Oh, I… Jack and I, mum. Yes, the police officer... can we not have this discussion again, I’ve told you… mum!” Phryne glanced back at Jack who did his best to act neutral and then turned around again.

“Mum, I have to go, I’ll call you later, okay?... No, not yet but I’ll figure something out. And mum, please stay inside, alright? If you have any questions about where things are just let me know. And charge your phone! Alright, love you too, bye.”

Phryne rubbed her temple and sighed before turning back to Jack. 

“Everything alright?” 

“Oh, it’ll be fine. My mother is staying with me and I…”

“In Australia?” Jack interrupted, surprised.

“No, in America,” Phryne replied sarcastically but without malice. “Yes, here. Apparently my father was being even more of as arsehole than usual so she has decided to take an extended vacation.”

“Quite a vacation…” Jack had gotten enough of a glimpse into Phryne’s relationship with her father, when he had visited in January, to know that there was a complicated and difficult history there, one that Jack presumed extended to her mother.

“Tell me about it,” Phryne sighed, looking slightly defeated. Jack had to resist the urge to hug her. Just for a moment the conversation felt so normal that it was hard to believe the past month had ever happened.

“How long has she been staying with you?”

“Just about 2 weeks.”

They both fell silent, reminded of their argument, without which Jack would undoubtedly have known about her mother from the first day on as Phryne would have complained about her to him in one of their regular phone calls. Or at least they _had_ been regular. Jack had come to rely on their conversations to fill his evenings -those where they didn’t see each other in person, anyway- and afternoons, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Jack felt his chest tighten all of a sudden as he realized that they might never have those calls again. It had been 27 days, not that he was counting, since their argument. 27 days of no interference in his cases, no calls from his boss about his close partnership with a civilian “consultant”. 27 days of quiet evenings.

Jack had had a lot of time for self-reflection, knew that he had been out of line that day at her apartment. He had been scared to lose her, _had_ almost lost her that day. It wasn’t really an excuse. But Phryne had said some things too and he knew that if he apologized she would look at him in that triumphant way of hers, as if she had known that he would budge first. He didn’t want to give her the satisfaction. And so had they just... stopped talking. And Jack had spent the rest of their time apart convincing himself that he didn’t need or want Phryne in his life, didn’t need the emotional turmoil their friendship regularly caused in him.

Only when she had shown up at his crime scene a few days ago, all thoughts of not wanting her in his life had flown right out of the window. The last 72 hours had instead been filled with a steady longing for her company, a desperate desire to get things between them back to the way they had been.

“So…” Jack cleared his throat, trying not to let him emotions show. “Where are you going to go?”

“Not sure,” Phryne shrugged. “You?”

“Ah, home.”

“Of course.” She nodded. “Well, what a _fun_ catching up this was, Jack. I’ll talk to you when we get the test results back, I suppose.” 

“Phryne,” Jack brought out as she started walking away, relieved when she stopped and turned.

“If you…,” he briefly closed his eyes. This was a bad idea. “If you don’t find a place to stay, please give me a call.”

Phryne stared at him for a long moment, obviously surprised by his offer. He couldn’t blame her if she told him to piss off.

“Are you sure you could stand to have my “egotistical, calculating, heartless” self around?” She quoted him from memory and Jack swallowed thickly. 

“Phryne... I shouldn’t have...”

”Trust me Jack, you will be my last resort.” She interrupted him and walked away.

***

Phryne sat in her car unsure of what to do. Her interaction with Jack had affected and confused her more than she wanted to admit. Yes, she was mad at him, furious, in fact, the hurt as fresh as if their argument had been yesterday, but seeing him again had pushed other emotions to the front. Sadness, mainly, a strange and unwelcome weight settling on her chest as she had left him standing in front of the elevators. 

27 days was a long time to go without speaking to someone, especially someone she knew so well. But things had been said, by both of them, things they couldn’t take back. Had Jack been trying to apologize earlier? She had been too angry to hear him out if he was, and in any case, would an apology fix things between them? She doubted it at this point. 

Phryne dropped her head to the steering wheel in exasperation, jolting when the car horn sounded through the car park. She shook her thoughts about Jack away. She first had to find a place to stay for the next few days. Her mind briefly went back to Jack’s offer of calling him and she blinked. She had to make sure there were no other options first before sacrificing her pride like that. Phryne grabbed her phone again and tapped the first person on her call list, impatiently drumming her fingers against her thigh as she waited for the call to connect.

“How did it go?” Mac answered the phone without preamble.

“We have to wait 48-72 hours for the results and self-isolate in the meantime.”

“I know that. I meant with Jack.”

“Oh, that... I don’t know. It’s...it’s just so weird, Mac. I don’t know how he feels and, hell, I don’t know how _I_ feel, and I want to feel distant from him but I just…”

“Can’t.” Her friend finished the sentence for her. “Maybe talking to each other wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world…?” 

“Mac! He called me self-centered and uncaring. Among other things.” _Heartless, calculating_... her brain filled in. Really, he had come up with a rather impressively long list of attributes.

“I know you’re not self-centered and uncaring, Phryne. And I strongly suspect Jack knows that, too.”

“Well, he should have considered that before yelling at me.” Phryne responded harshly.

“To be fair, you almost got yourself recklessly killed that day.” Ah yes, reckless had been on the list as well.

“Can we not talk about this again.” 

“Phryne darling, all I know is that you haven’t been as happy this past month as you were before. And if that happiness has to do with Jack, by any chance, maybe it’s worth trying to resolve the issue. You know, as I’ve been telling you to do for weeks now. And now that you’ve seen each other again, maybe taking the first step will be easier, hm?” 

“Right, I’ll take that into consideration,” Phryne stated dryly. “Can we talk about something else now? I wanted to get your advice on self-isolation.” 

“Go ahead then.” Mac sighed.

“I obviously can’t go home because mum is there.”

“Wise decision.”

“So, I was wondering what your professional opinion is about me checking into a hotel.”

“Bad idea.”

“I suspected as much.”

“If you’re actually infected you’re risking exposing others to the virus. Other countries have set up extra hotels for people to self-isolate but we’re not there yet,” Mac explained apologetically.

“Yeah, alright, I’ll figure something else out then.”

“...where is Jack staying?” Mac asked after a moment.

“At his house.” Phryne hesitated for a moment before continuing. “He actually... offered for me to call him if I didn’t find another place to stay.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line.

“You know what I’m going to say, Phryne.”

“I don’t want to go begging for his help.”

“We have very different definitions of begging, Phryne. This is _Jack_ we’re talking about. You know he won’t hold this over your head, these are extraordinary circumstances we’re finding ourselves in. I, for one, think you should get over yourself and take him up on his offer. That would be the responsible thing to do, anyway.”

“Hmpf,” Phryne grumbled. 

“Look, I have to go, there’s a lot going on at the hospital at the moment, as you can imagine.”

“Mac, please take care of yourself, alright? And let me know if there’s anything I can do.” Phryne implored. 

“I will, thank you. And let me know where you end up, okay?” 

”Of course. And Mac? Thank you.”

Mac muttered something underneath her breath that sounded remarkably like “Now if you two could just fuck already and get it out of your system” but before Phryne could respond, her friend had hung up.

Phryne stared at the wall in front of her car for a few moments before opening her call list again. There was a lot of Mac at the top, then Dot, her favorite takeout place, her doctor’s office. She wasn’t sure why, but she kept scrolling until she reached February.

Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack.

Phryne kept scrolling, his name dominating her screen. She scrolled back up to the last time his name appeared. February 14th, the day of that stupid swimming tournament. After that, not one call to or from him. 

Phryne closed her eyes and groaned. Best to just get it over with. She tapped on that last call from him, February 14th at 4.36pm and raised the phone to her ear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I PROMISE that all of this tension will make their quarantine time together even sweeter. 😅


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while, I may or may not have gotten distracted by Tiger King.

While the offer to call on him had been genuine, Jack hadn’t thought that Phryne would actually call. As he hung up the speaker phone in his car, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. She was coming to stay with him. Tonight. 

He almost laughed at the fact that the first time Phryne Fisher would be sleeping at his house would not be because they had finally succumbed to their mutual attraction. Come to think of it, she hadn’t even been inside of his house before. The furthest she had gotten was the doorstep when she had brought him coffee one morning in an attempt to extract knowledge about his current case from him. It hadn’t worked, no matter how irresistible her pout was as she had stood there; his house a boundary that Jack hadn’t been willing to let her cross. 

Resisting Phryne Fisher was something Jack had gotten good at over the course of their acquaintance. Too good, maybe. As he had gotten to know her better and better, he’d wondered why he put so much energy into resisting her in the first place. Early on, he had come up with reasons why a relationship with her couldn’t work. He wanted commitment and she liked being free. He had been worried about her breaking his heart like she had so many others. But over time, Jack learned that Phryne committed deeply to the people she cared about. And he had seen how fiercely she loved those closest to her.

And so gradually, Jack had let his barriers down, one by one. One returned touch on the arm here, one naughty joke there. Phryne’s pleased smile had made letting go of his inhibitions worth it every time. And in fact, in the weeks before the argument, Jack felt they had been steadily moving towards something _more_. However, neither of them had been quite brave enough to take the next step, now that they were so comfortable in their friendship. Even so, that connection with Phryne was something Jack had come to relish, rely on, even. She was unlike anyone he’d ever met, had burst into his life with color and joy and a happiness that had been contagious. Phryne enjoyed life to the hilt and besides causing him grievance every once in a while, he’d started to adopt her attitude into his own life.

But then her recklessness had almost cost her her life; Jack’s deepest fears almost coming true. And he had cursed her independent spirit, her affinity for danger, her unwavering belief in her own immortality; every doubt, every worry that had pent up inside of him for months bursting out all at once. Jack groaned. He didn’t know how quarantine with Phryne would go, but either way he suspected they would have clarity about their relationship by the end of it.

***

The phone call with Jack had been… nice, almost. Familiar. As much as Phryne hated to admit it. And it had made her realize just how much she missed talking to him. Without conscious input from either of them, their conversations had become a set part of their routine and Phryne just… enjoyed his company. His stoic energy that she had so come to love, especially knowing that there was so much more to the man than his calm and controlled exterior. Jack had reacted to her flirting and teasing with a twinkle in his eyes from the very beginning but then, oh, a couple of months ago he had started being more proactive. The first time he had made a suggestive comment at a crime scene, her jaw had actually dropped. She had underestimated him and it had brought her great joy to discover that he seemed willing to play her game. Without realizing it, Jack had morphed from a man Phryne flirted with like any other to someone more important to her. Not only one of her closest friends, but someone she could imagine a relationship with. The realization had scared her more than she thought it would. But she had thought Jack would be worth stepping out of her comfort zone for. 

Phryne sighed. Either, they were going to fight and really never speak to each other again or they would make up, and who knew what their path would look like then. She wasn’t sure which option would be better. The steady tug in her stomach told her which option she’d prefer, however.

She picked up her phone again and called her mother back, who seemed to have charged her phone in the meantime, and directed her through packing clothes and toiletries for the next few days, as well as her laptop. Her next call was to Dot, giving her an update on the situation. Phryne resolutely ignored her assistant’s teasing comments about her staying at Jack’s place and wished she hadn’t indulged in quite so many nights of drinking with the younger woman. Phryne’s drunken self was even less inhibited than her sober self, sharing thoughts and fantasies about Jack that she usually tried to deny, even to herself.

After ending the call with Dot ( _“I’m sure you’ll have a fabulous time, Phryne.”_ ), Phryne finally started her car and headed to her apartment. She had told Jack she’d get to his house around 7pm, wanting to avoid what was guaranteed to be an awkward evening as long as possible. When she got to her apartment building, Phryne saw her mother standing behind the big glass door to the lobby and waved to her. The following exchange of the overnight bag reminded Phryne more of a drug deal than anything else, her mother dropping the bag outside of the doors before retreating back into the building.

As soon as she had gotten back into her car, shaking her head at the absurdity of the entire situation, Phryne glanced at her phone. 3pm. Which meant there were still 4 hours left until Jack expected her. She briefly considered calling him again to let him know she’d be arriving sooner, before discarding the idea again, remembering that she was trying to avoid his company for as long as possible.   
  


***

As she walked up the stairs to Jack’s little bungalow at exactly 7pm, Phryne vowed to herself that Jack would never find out that she had spent the past 3 hours sitting in her parked car just a few streets over from his house, waiting for the time to pass. 

She took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell, nervously drumming the fingers of her free hand against her thigh as she heard footsteps approach. Jack opened the door and they stared at each other for a moment. 

“Hi.” Phryne spoke first. 

“Hi. Um… welcome, come on in,” Jack gestured to the hallway behind him and Phryne walked past him, nearly brushing against his chest in the narrow doorway.

“Sorry,” Jack murmured, pressing himself further back against the door to make more room. Phryne shot him a slightly amused look. The ease with which she was able fluster him had always pleased her. Especially considering that he didn’t seem fazed by much else in this world. She was glad that she was still able to affect him.

Phryne stopped a few feet into his house and turned her head back towards him. 

“Shoes off or on?” 

“Oh, ah… whatever you like,” Jack replied, wiping his hands on the sides of his trousers, his palms having grown sweaty over the past minute.

“Jack,” Phryne said gently. “I’m a guest in your house. Shoes on or off?” She repeated the question.

“Off.” Jack acquiesced and watched as Phryne bent to set her overnight bag down before slipping her heels from her feet. Was it really only a few hours ago that they had been at the hospital? It seemed like a lifetime to Jack. When Phryne straightened again, she was significantly shorter; part of her armor, as Jack liked to think of it, removed.

A memory flashed through his mind of them on a Minigolf course. Phryne had worn sneakers then, the top of her head barely reaching his nose.

_“I take this sport very seriously, Jack,” she had grinned up at him before proceeding to kick his ass on the course. The next time they had played, their scores came out even and Phryne had looked at him with a mixture of surprise and intrigue, her eyes sparkling up at him as she tried to figure out how he’d done it. Jack never told her about the many hours of solo-practice he had put in after that first time and while he assumed Phryne had her suspicions, she had never straight-up asked him._

“Quick tour of the place?” Jack offered, pulling himself out of his reminiscing, and Phryne nodded, following him on bare feet as he led her through the house, pointing out the living room, kitchen, bathroom and laundry room, before ending up in front of two adjacent doors at the end of a hallway. 

“So, here’s the bedroom, um, my bedroom,” Jack explained with a slight blush, gesturing to the door to his right before turning to the other one, shaking his head at himself. _Really, if the mere presence of the woman in his house managed to affect him, he was further gone than he had thought._

“And here’s the guest room. I put towels on the dresser, I wasn’t sure what you’d bring with you. Um, there’s a bed, of course, well really more of a sofa bed, I guess. Let me know if it’s uncomfortable? Though no one’s ever complained so…” Jack became aware he was rambling and trailed off, unsure of what else to say and instead opting for opening the door.

“It’ll do just fine,” Phryne assured him as she poked her head into the room. 

“Uh right. So I’ll just let you get settled then, I’ll be in the kitchen,” Jack informed her and turned to go.

“Jack, thank you.” 

He turned and nodded with a small smile and then headed back down the hall, sitting down in front of his laptop at his kitchen table. He heard Phryne shuffling in the hallway, getting her bag from the entrance and then setting up inside of the guest room. Jack ran a hand over his face. He thought their conversation had gone pretty well, all things considered, but he tried to tamp down his optimism, ignoring the hope that had started to build inside of him ever since Phryne’s call that afternoon. Before there was any hope of reconciliation they’d have to talk. And it was a conversation he dreaded.

***

Phryne came back into the kitchen to find Jack with his head in his hands. She took a moment to observe him before clearing her throat, watching as his head jolted up.

“We should talk.” She said without any preamble, her voice reluctant nevertheless. She really didn’t want to have this conversation. However, the thought of spending the next few days in awkward silence and tension was even more unappealing. Best to just get their feelings out. Phryne rather thought Mac would be proud of her.

Jack swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, before nodding in agreement. 

“Yes, we should. Have you had dinner? If not, I could order something.”

“I’d like that.” Phryne paused, slightly surprised by his suggestion of ordering in. Jack had time and time again criticized her habit of eating out or microwaving her meals.

“Since when do you order take-out?”

Jack shrugged, obviously not keen on answering and Phryne decided not to pursue it. They decided on Italian and Jack placed their order while Phryne excused herself to use the bathroom, more to take a moment to collect herself before their conversation, than to actually pee. She took a moment to look around, examining the tube of hair gel on the sink, Jack’s razor, his aftershave, all neatly placed next to each other. 

She wondered when the last time was he’d had a woman over. While they were still on talking terms Jack had gone on a few dates, Phryne knew, but had they ever ended up back to his house? She had never really wanted to know, the jealous streak that had coursed through her when Jack had first disclosed that he was in fact going on dates taking her by surprise. It was ridiculous, really. She regularly had men in her bed so she could hardly judge him for seeking comfort in a woman’s arms. And yet… the thought of Jack with someone, _besides her, her brain added,_ had bothered Phryne more than she would have liked to admit. She glanced at herself in the mirror and straightened, running her fingers through her hair. She could do this. 

***

When Phryne came back into the kitchen, two whiskey glasses were sitting on the table and she gratefully reached for one of them. They was an awkward moment where they both held their glasses, unsure of whether to toast or not, their toasting having become a tradition between them. They opted for a silent toast, nodding at each other before taking a sip of their drinks.

“So,” Phryne spoke quietly.

Jack gathered up his courage, taking another gulp of his whiskey and then spoke, the burning sensation in his chest a welcome distraction.

“I owe you an apology.”

Phryne remained silent and Jack continued. 

“I was… upset that day. But I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that.”

“Did you mean it?” Phryne asked, her voice calm, only a slight waver in it giving away her emotions.

“Did I mean what?”

“What you said, Jack. Because the problem is, I think you did mean it. You can blame it on the alcohol, you can blame it on being concerned for my well-being, but the thing is that all of those factors just lower your inhibitions. Let you say what you truly feel,” Phryne spoke, angrier now, her eyes beginning to shine suspiciously.

Jack stared at her somewhat helplessly. He still didn’t really remember what he had said, her words earlier in the car park the only thing he had to go on.

“I regret saying those things, Phryne, please believe that.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Will it really make you happy if I tell you that I didn’t mean it? Fine, I didn’t mean it! Phryne, you are… were… oh, damn it all, _are_ the most important person in my life, besides my family.” Jack’s voice had gotten louder. Phryne didn’t reply, too stunned by his words. 

“It hurts me when you hurt, but in that moment I wanted you to feel the same pain I felt, because damn it, sometimes I feel like I’m in this alone and it’s not fair.”

Phryne stared at him, wide-eyed. 

“ _That’s_ not fair?” She asked incredulously. “What’s not fair is you making assumptions about how invested I am in... _this_ ,” she continued, angrily gesturing in between them, at a loss for words as to what _this_ actually was, her mind still reeling from Jack’s previous statement.

“I didn’t have to assume anything that day. You didn’t inform anyone of your plans that day and it almost got you killed,” Jack exclaimed. “If you were invested in… _this_ , you would have let me know that you planned on confronting the suspect in the water!”

“Oh, can we stop calling it “ _this_ ” already,” Phryne shouted angrily and they both fell silent for a moment.

“Fine.” Jack said eventually, his voice calmer again. “Fine, what would you like to call it? A partnership? Partners tell each other what they’re doing before they throw themselves into harm’s way. A friendship? Friends let each other know how they feel and don’t keep the other in the dark.”

“Friends also don’t call each other heartless and calculating.” Phryne shot back, bringing them back to her original question while evading his. 

“Damnit, Phryne, you are one of the most caring people I know.” Jack said, pouring all of his frustration into his words. “You’re kind, and generous, you open your heart to so many people. So why not me? Have I done something that makes you not want to trust me? Why can’t you let me in?” 

Phryne was speechless once again, Jack’s words hitting her as if he had slapped her. How could he not see that she had opened her heart and soul to him, that he had found his place there and anchored himself so deeply that even when she had tried to push him out he refused to leave? 

“How..” she began, at a loss for words. “How can you think that? After all this time?”

Jack’s answer was preempted by the doorbell ringing, announcing the arrival of their food. He shrugged helplessly. 

“I can only tell you what I see, Phryne. You shut me out when it suits you and I can’t keep going like that.”

He waited for a moment longer, and when she didn’t reply, left the kitchen to get their food from the front door, coming back to find Phryne hadn’t moved an inch. 

“I care about you, Jack.” Her voice sounded sad now, the anger barely detectable anymore. “And I do trust you.” _More than I’ve ever trusted a man_ , she added in her mind. 

“Then why don’t you let me know what’s going on inside your head before throwing yourself in harm’s way?” Jack asked a little desperately, finally setting the bag with their food down on the table. 

“Because I don’t need your help and I certainly don’t need your approval.” Phryne argued stubbornly. 

“And I would never presume that you did. But it’s not a sign of weakness to let your partner in on your next investigative steps. And I do, you know. Like to think we’re partners, however unofficial out working together might be.”

“Me too.” Phryne agreed after a moment. She sighed and straightened up slightly. “I’m sorry that the… situation scared you, I didn’t mean for it to go so wrong.”

“And here I was thinking you wanted to drown.” The words were teasing, as he had intended them to be, to lighten the mood, yet Jack could not manage to put a smile onto his face.

He vividly remembered one of his constables running up to him on the pier, informing him of the struggle between Phryne and the suspect. When Jack had reached the paramedics van he had seen Phryne, lifeless and wrapped in blankets on a stretcher, a breathing mask over her face. It had felt as if his heart stopped beating. The overwhelming sense of relief Jack had when she had blearily blinked up at him had quickly given way to anger. Anger, which had not dissipated over the course of the day, leading to that fateful argument in her apartment.

“But even so, being scared doesn’t excuse your… outburst.” Phryne continued, squaring her shoulders.

“No, it doesn’t,” Jack acknowledged solemnly. 

They stood there in silence for a moment, their eyes finding each other before dropping away again. 

“We should eat before the pizza gets cold,” Phryne remarked, nodding towards the bag of food on the table. She was well aware that the pizza would be hot for a while yet but Jack didn’t argue, both of them welcoming the distraction food would bring.

They ate their pizza in silence, the only sounds in the room their chewing and swallowing. As they were finishing up, Phryne couldn’t take it anymore. 

“I do understand your side, you know.” 

Jack froze in his movements, looking up at her for confirmation. 

“Good… that’s good.” He cleared his throat. 

“I should have told you I was planning to confront Thompson in the water.” She paused briefly. “And I’m sorry for calling you boring and stuck in your ways.” She continued, recalling some of her own insults from that day. 

Jack waved his hand dismissively. “What I said was much worse.” 

“Yes, it was.”

“I really am sorry.”

“I know.”

They fell silent again, quietly observing each other for a moment.

“The pizza really was very good,” Phryne said eventually and Jack smiled slightly. 

“Strano’s makes the best pizza in town,” he whispered conspiratorially, drawing a smile from Phryne in return. 

“You know the only thing that would make this meal better?”

Even as she was speaking, Jack wordlessly reached back into the bag and produced a small container of panna cotta. He wasn’t quite able to suppress a smile at the way Phryne’s eyes lit up at the sight of her favorite dessert. He really did know her well.   
  


***

  
Jack started clearing the table while Phryne ate her dessert and took the few minutes to reflect on their conversation. It had been unusually honest and straight forward for them. He suddenly realized that they had rarely, in the entire course of their friendship, actually talked about their relationship, the topic always having been something they both avoided. He’d never actually told her what was bothering him about her behavior, until that day at her apartment when he had gone completely overboard. 

Phryne, meanwhile, happily finished her panna cotta. Their conversation really had gone much better than she could have hoped for. _Mac would be proud_ , she thought again. But she knew she would need time to process it and she suspected the same was true for Jack.

When she was done, she handed Jack her spoon before throwing away the plastic container and turning back around to face him. 

“It’s been a long day, I might make an early night of it,” she spoke softly.

“I have a bit of paperwork I need to finish up. Let me know if there’s anything you need.” Jack replied, leaning against the counter, his eyes searching her face though she wasn’t sure what for. 

“Will do. Goodnight, Jack.”

“Goodnight.” He replied and just briefly, Phryne thought she could get used to saying goodnight to him.

***

  
When she got to her room Phryne closed the door behind her and breathed deeply.

She’d be fine. Absolutely fine. She was an adult after all. And really, things were looking much better with Jack than they had a few hours ago. 

She sighed and let go of the door to collect her toothbrush and pajamas from her bag. She frowned as she felt around her bag for the soft fabric of her pajamas, coming up empty. Phryne dug around the bag three more times, then spread out its contents on the floor. Her robe was there, albeit a very short robe, but there were no pajamas anywhere to be found. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, making a mental note to have a serious word to her mother about following instructions and cursing the woman’s wannabe matchmaking skills.

After a moment, Phryne opened her eyes again and considered her options. She could either ask Jack for pajamas, but she felt oddly hesitant about intruding on his privacy in that way. Plus, it would mean she would have to talk to him again. After brief contemplation, Phryne decided to ignore what she had just told herself about being an adult. She’d somehow make do with what she had.

***

Jack was still sitting in the kitchen, listening with one ear as Phryne got ready for bed, the sound of someone brushing their teeth in his house such a long forgotten thing that his heart clenched at the domesticity of it. As if domesticity and Phryne Fisher were two things that would ever go together. He sighed. Getting their friendship back was more important to him than starting anything… _more_ , however much he might want it. Jack heard her bedroom door shut again and focused back on his paperwork. When he finally went to bed hours later, he fell into a restless sleep.

He jolted back awake in the middle of the night as a loud crash sounded through the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, all you cool cats and kittens! 
> 
> Next chapter will be mostly fluffy. So I’ve heard.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your lovely comments, I am so beyond happy that you’re enjoying this fic!!

Jack jerked awake as the crash sounded through the house. He glanced at his alarm clock. 3am. He scrambled out of bed, mentally preparing for encountering an intruder before remembering his house guest. 

Phryne. 

He felt a different type of panic welling up inside of him, images of Phryne, hurt in some way, flashing through his mind, and he quickly crossed the room, tearing open his bedroom door. The house was pitch black.

“Phryne?” He called out in concern, turning on the hallway light. The door to her room was open, he noted.

“In the kitchen,” her voice came from down the hall, sounding somewhat hesitant.

Jack quickly headed down the hall, wondering why Phryne hadn’t turned any lights on, switching the kitchen light on himself as he entered the room. His hand froze on the lightswitch as he took in the scene before him.

***

Phryne was standing in the middle of his kitchen, the entire contents of the dish rack on the ground around her feet; shattered plates and glasses, with a few pans and cutlery spread throughout. Jack didn’t even register the mess at first, unable to tear his eyes away from Phryne.

She was wearing… very little. Jack swallowed. Whatever he had expected, it had not been Phryne Fisher, dressed in a _very_ short and loosely-tied robe, wearing what seemed like only a thin camisole and underwear beneath it. At least he prayed that she was wearing underwear. The robe barely covered her buttocks, her legs completely bared.

Jack helplessly trailed his gaze up her body, his eyes greedily committing every inch of bare skin to memory. The robe was gaping open at the top as the sash had come loose, revealing the low hemline of her camisole. As his eyes involuntarily flicked over her breasts, Jack thought he could see her nipples hardening underneath the thin fabric. _Oh_. He swallowed again.

Jack tore his eyes away from her chest with all the self-control he could muster and looked at Phryne’s face. She looked like a deer in the headlights, frozen in place.

“Wha…” Jack croaked, his voice rusty from sleep and the shock over her current state of undress. He couldn’t help but feel that she was sending him mixed messages. Phryne had known she would be sleeping over at his house tonight and they had not been on the best of terms for a while now. Was this her way of telling him she wanted him? Was this an attempt to seduce him? But why now? 

Phryne spoke up while Jack’s mind was still working overdrive trying to figure out what exactly she was trying to tell him.

“My apologies for the lack of clothing,” she said, blushing slightly. “I didn’t have any pajamas… a slight oversight on my mother’s part.”

Oh. _Oh_. Jack’s brain slowly caught up to her words and he mentally facepalmed at having assumed any kind of intent on her part. The confused look on his face remained, however, as he was now able to full take in the scattered dishes.

“I couldn’t sleep.” Phryne went on to explain. “I wanted to get a glass of water and then my elbow must have caught on the dish rack and, well…” 

Jack let his gaze drop down again, looking at her bare feet and the shards of glass surrounding them, the broken pieces almost reaching to the door.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized with a chagrined look on her face.

“And you decided to do all of this in the dark?” He finally found his voice.

“I had my phone flashlight,” Phryne explained, holding up her right hand with her phone in it.

“That seems to have worked out well,” Jack remarked dryly. “Next time you can just turn on the light, you know.”

“I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Right….” There was an awkward silence, Phryne shuffling around on her feet. Her bare feet, Jack noticed once again, his eyes widening as she attempted to take a step towards him.

“Stop!” He shouted and she flinched, startled by his outburst. “I… sorry, but you were going to cut yourself.” Jack explained sheepishly and earned himself a look from Phryne.

“I just want to get out of this mess so I can start cleaning it up,” she informed him.

“I… alright, don’t move,” Jack ordered with a sigh, turning on the spot and jogging down the hall to slip on his shoes. On the way back he grabbed a broom, mop and bucket from the laundry room. When Jack returned to the kitchen, Phryne was still standing where he had left her, looking just about as uncomfortable as he felt with the situation.

Jack took a deep breath and walked over to her, ignoring the questioning look in her eyes. When he was standing in front of her he turned around and bent over slightly, squatting down.

“Hop on then, Miss Fisher.” 

Phryne was glad he couldn’t see the giant grin that spread over her face at his words. She didn’t want him to think that she had orchestrated this entire thing so she could half-nakedly cling onto his back. In fact, she felt oddly hesitant about the whole thing, given that she was usually much more confident around men, especially if she was half-naked. However, Phryne wasn’t going to argue with this turn of events, so she wrapped her arms over Jack’s shoulders, linking her hands together in front of his chest. She felt herself lifted off the ground as Jack straightened up, her legs automatically wrapping themselves around his hips to secure her hold. She felt his every breath against her chest as his back expanded. 

Jack was in heaven and hell at the same time as he felt Phryne wrap herself around him. _Why had he suggested this again?_ He almost groaned when he felt her lift her legs to his hips to wrap around him, the pressure of her against his back and around his hips a sweet torture. When he took a step, her legs slipped a bit on the smooth fabric of his pajamas and he felt her sliding slightly down his back. Without thinking he move his arms back and wrapped his hands around her thighs to keep her up. 

He felt her breath hitch against his back at the unexpected contact, and his own steps faltered as he felt her skin. How her thighs felt so soft was beyond him and he bit his lip, trying not to think about how his fingertips were curled into the insides of her thighs. It was useless and Phryne’s hot breath on his neck wasn’t helping matters as Jack felt a distinct stirring in his trousers. He focused all of his energy on walking them the short distance to his kitchen table, turning to gently deposit Phryne on the table. He breathed a sigh of relief when she loosened her hold on him and they were separated once more.

“I’ll clean up, you just stay up there,” Jack informed her, avoiding eye contact, hoping his voice sounded steady. The thought of Phryne bending over in that robe to sweep the floor was… well, to be honest even the thought of it was about to cause him some more embarrassment. 

“Are you sure? I knocked it down, after all,” she began. 

“Yes!” He blurted out, before confirming again more calmly.

***

Jack worked in silence, picking up the pans and cutlery before grabbing the broom to sweep up the broken plates and glasses. He felt Phryne’s eyes on his back as he moved and tried not be self-conscious about his own casual attire.

“You know you could have asked me for pajamas,” he commented after a while as he started mopping the floor.

“I didn’t want to bother you again,” Phryne admitted with a sigh. “To be fair, I didn’t expect to run into you in the middle of the night.”

“Well, now that you have, I’m happy to lend you a pair… if you want,” Jack offered, wringing out the mop, his back still to her.

”That would be wonderful.”

“Why were you up, anyway?” Jack asked, turning back around to face her, almost stumbling over his words even though he’d known what to expect. Phryne had thankfully tied her robe more tightly around herself again but still… she looked like a fantasy come to life. His fantasy, more specifically. In fact he had had several fantasies that had started with her sitting just like she was now on his kitchen table. He mentally shook his head, cursing his brain for reminding him of those fantasies now. 

“Oh, I just… couldn’t sleep, I guess,” Phryne stated quietly and paused. “It’s just… you picked very specific adjectives to describe me.” She continued and he tensed slightly.

“I did,” he spoke carefully. “I already told you I didn’t mean them. That was the truth.”

“And I believe you.” 

“But…?” Jack prompted.

“But… I’ve heard those words said about before. I really don’t know why it’s bothering me so much, I don’t usually care what other people think of me.” She spoke, her frustration at her own emotions coming out. _The problem was, Jack wasn’t just anyone. And even if he hadn’t meant the words, there was a reason he had chosen them in the first place, wasn’t there?_

“Would you like to talk about it?” Jack interrupted her train of thought, a concerned look on his face.

“I don’t know… I think so.” Her eyes were cast downwards, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the sash of her robe. “Now?”

“If you’re up for it,” Jack shrugged. There was no way he’d be able to go back to sleep now, anyway.

“You might have to carry me again, though,” Phryne stated, a smile playing around the corners of her eyes. “Since the floor is wet now.”

Jack tilted his head at her admonishingly for her cheek, but stepped closer all the same and Phryne felt her heartbeat speed up. To her utter surprise, he didn’t turn around again but instead looped one arm underneath her knees, the other around her back as he swept her off the table. She squealed in surprise and then laughed, wrapping her arm around his neck to hold on as he carried her into the hallway.

Jack really wasn’t sure what had possessed him; probably the desire to avoid having Phryne wrapped around his back again. All he knew was that now, Phryne was pressed against his chest, her legs resting on his left arm, her torso held up by his right arm. The fingers of his left hand were once again digging into her thigh while the fingertips of the other hand just barely brushed against the side of her breast. 

_You idiot!!!,_ his brain screamed at him as he realized all of this, his eyes widening in horror as he realized that the abrupt movement had caused her robe to bunch up around her waist, hinting at a flash of light blue fabric between her thighs. Jack almost tripped over his own feet and quickly averted his eyes. He heard Phryne’s surprised laugh -and what a heavenly sound _that_ was-, and walked to the hallway with as much dignity as he could muster, dropping her down again as quickly and gently as he could manage. 

“You’re very good at that,” Phryne remarked as she was standing on her own two feet again, her voice sounding slightly breathless. Jack was too busy with his own mortification to reply, so he just shrugged and nodded into the direction of the living room. 

“Make yourself comfortable,” he spoke, pointlessly avoiding her gaze as she could see his blush anyway. He definitely needed a few minutes to collect himself. “I’ll be right there.”

***

Phryne sat down on one end of the sofa, her body tingling pleasantly after the unexpected bodily contact with Jack, and took a moment to look around the room. There were bookshelves lining the walls, a fireplace, a very comfortable looking armchair in the corner. Really, it looked like what she had imagined Jack’s living room to look like. She wondered how much time he spent in here.

Right on cue, Jack entered, a glass of water in one hand, a pair of pajamas in the other. He set down the glass on the coffee table in front of the sofa and handed her the pajamas. The blush in his cheeks was gone, but he was still avoiding eye contact, Phryne noticed. She wondered if their kitchen encounter had affected him as much as it had her, or if she was reading into things. She hoped she wasn’t. 

“They’ll be a bit big,” Jack apologized, nodding towards the pajamas. 

“Rather too much fabric than too little, right?” She smiled and then finally took mercy on him, pulling on the pajama bottoms. They were way too big, the fabric cascading around her legs more like a skirt, her feet completely covered by the extra fabric. She looked… cute, Jack decided, smiling involuntarily. 

Jack turned and toed off his shoes before he took a seat on the other end of the sofa. Phryne had pulled on the pajama top as well and was in the process of rolling up the sleeves so her hands were visible Jack briefly regretted his decision to give her the pajamas, the sight of her wearing them almost affecting him more than seeing her half-naked. He decided not to examine the reasons for that too closely and focused on Phryne’s face, determinedly not thinking about how adorable she looked or how his heart clenched in his chest at the sight of her like this on his sofa. He cleared his throat. 

“So…” 

“So.” She sighed, curling her legs beneath her. 

“You know people say stupid things, Phryne.”

“Of course.” _But not you._ “Why did you pick those specific words, Jack?” 

Jack thought about her question for a moment before responding.

“I wanted them to hurt,” he admitted and his chest tightened at the pained look in her eyes. 

“I know you, Phryne. I know how deep your love for those close to you is and how important that part of you is to yourself. You’re not heartless, you have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever seen. You’re definitely not uncaring. And while some may call you self-centered or arrogant, I know you well enough to know that that’s not true. You are so deeply invested in helping others that it’s sometimes to your own detriment. And yet you keep speaking up for those treated unfairly, help those in need. Because it’s who you are.”

Phryne’s eyes had started glistening suspiciously again as he talked and she inhaled a shaky breath. “That is a very kind assessment of my character,” she admitted quietly. 

“Well, it’s the truth. That being said, I think…” he paused. “I think you’re very careful with your affections, because you’ve been hurt before. And I think that some people interpret that as you being uncaring, or heartless, or calculating, when in truth it’s just your way of protecting yourself from more heartbreak.” _Like the one I caused you_ , he added in his mind.

“I guess that also makes it difficult to be my friend,” Phryne chuckled sadly as she tried to blink her tears away. Damn him and his uncanny ability to know her better than she did sometimes.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Besides, the positives far outweigh the negatives where I’m concerned,” Jack teased and was rewarded with a small smile. “Though, you are reckless, I’m not taking that one back,” he continued with a smirk, happy to see that her mood was lifting.

“I suppose I’ll have to live with it,” Phryne sighed dramatically, her smile growing as she felt the tension slowly leave her body. Every interaction with Jack since yesterday had been… good, she thought. Not necessarily pleasant, but important. Phryne snuggled further into the sofa, and into Jack’s pajamas, and looked at him fondly. 

“Thank you again for offering to let me stay. I know you really didn’t have to.”

“I’m glad I did.” He smiled. “Though it cost me several of my best plates and glasses,” he teased. 

“Oh, you just wait, we’re not even 12 hours into this quarantine, so much more time for my clumsiness to take effect. You’ll regret ever issuing your offer in the first place.” Phryne chuckled.

”I doubt it,” Jack smiled and watched as her face turned more serious again, their familiar banter reminding both of them of how much they had missed it 

“The last few weeks have been weird, haven’t they?” 

“Yes, they have,” he agreed quietly.

They fell into a companionable silence, each concerned with their own thoughts. Phryne wanted to say something to fill the silence but wasn’t sure _what_ she wanted to say; so she remained quiet and soon felt her limbs and eyelids grow heavier. She was already half-asleep when Jack spoke again.

“So your mother staying with you must have been exhausting.” He turned to look at her, smiling when he saw her struggling to open her eyes.

“Hmmm.” Phryne agreed, only registering half of his words.

“Would you like to go back to bed?” He suggested with a chuckle.

“No no, keep talking, I like it,” she murmured sleepily. “Maybe not about my mother though, we can leave that for tomorrow.”

“What would you like me to talk about then?” Jack asked softly, surprised by the overwhelming joy he felt about her wanting him to just talk to her. 

“Whatever you want...ooh I know, tell me about one of your cases I missed out on,” she suggested, stifling a yawn as her eyes fell shut again. Jack smiled.

“Hm, you want me to divulge confidential police information?” He teased.

“Tell me about the Museum robberies,” she mumbled, ignoring him. “The newspaper said you led the investigation.”

Jack looked at her in surprise. He was aware that he had been mentioned in the newspaper but firstly, he knew that she didn’t really read the newspaper, and secondly, the article had been short; a few lines somewhere in the middle of a page. Jack wondered if she had been keeping tabs on his name this past month, the thought bringing an involuntary grin to his face.

“Well…” he began, he smiled and sat back on the couch, comfortably crossing his legs at the ankles. He let his gaze drift to the ground as he recounted the investigation in as much detail as he could acceptably include, trying to make the entire affair seem more exciting than it had actually been.   
  


***

“They were too surprised to even try to escape.” Jack concluded his retelling and looked back over at Phryne, smiling as he looked at her.

She was deep asleep, her chest lifting with deep and even breaths. Quite frankly, she looked absolutely adorable. Deceptively innocent, he grinned to himself. It had always surprised him how quiet Phryne was when she was asleep. “Dead to the world” was almost an understatement. 

_The first time he had attended one of her movie nights, Phryne had fallen asleep about half-way through the movie and when Jack had suggested waking her afterwards, Mac had informed him that nothing would. She wasn’t wrong, as Jack had discovered when he had carried Phryne to bed that night, her sleeping form in his arms bringing forth a tenderness in his heart that he hadn’t been aware existed up until that point. The movie nights, as well as Jack having to carry Phryne to bed, proceeded to become a regular occurrence, with Mac sending him increasingly knowing glances whenever he wasn’t quite able to hide his love-struck gaze._

Jack looked at Phryne now, as sweet in sleep as she had always been. He briefly considered carrying her back to her room, but ultimately decided not to. He still wasn’t sure if she considered their friendship to be back where it had been and the last thing he wanted to do was overstep. He stood up with a sigh and picked up the blanket on his reading chair, gently draping it over her. Phryne made a soft noise in her sleep but otherwise didn’t stir and Jack straightened again, looking at her for another moment, momentarily overwhelmed by the depth of his feelings for her. 

If the previous evening and now this late-night talk had revealed anything to him, it was that he was still hopelessly in love with her. Jack sighed, starting to feel odd about watching her while she was sleeping. He turned on the small lamp in the corner, so Phryne wouldn’t be confused in case she did wake up, and then switched off the main light, before heading back to his bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am trying to get things moving along, these two idiots just aren’t cooperating at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh, okay! I'm so sorry that this took so long, this past week has been a whirlwind of traveling back from Australia and saying goodbye and emotions and I just couldn't manage to put anything on the page. 
> 
> But now I feel better and I have my laptop back (which makes writing SO much easier honestly), and things are starting to get moving with this story! I hope you enjoy and forgive me for the long wait <3

Phryne awoke to the smell of coffee and smiled, her eyes still tightly shut as she stretched… and almost fell off the sofa. The sofa? Groggily, she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings, as well as herself, dressed in men’s pajamas.

The smile returned to her face and she swung her legs over the edge of her makeshift bed, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically awake, given that it couldn’t be past 8 in the morning. She secured the drawstring of the pajama bottoms and made sure the top was sufficiently buttoned up, mostly for Jack’s benefit, before padding into the kitchen.

Jack was sitting at his the table, coffee in one hand, toast in the other. Really, everything in Phryne’s line of sight made her mouth water. He looked up from his phone as she entered and hastily turned it over so she couldn’t see the screen before smiling at her. Phryne frowned, trying not to look too curious as to what he was hiding from her.

“Sleep well?”

“Yes, in fact. You have a very comfortable sofa, you know.” She replied, deciding to let him have his secrets as she surveyed the kitchen counter for more coffee. 

“Coffee’s over there in the pot, toast is in the freezer,” Jack pointed out and watched as Phryne poured herself a cup before sitting down opposite of him at the table. 

“No food?” He questioned.

“Too early,” she grumbled, taking a few sips of her coffee as she observed him over the rim of her mug. “Why are you up so early, anyway?”

“Habit, I guess,” Jack shrugged, taking another bite of his toast and suppressing a smile as he watched her start to eye his breakfast. Some things didn't change apparently, and Phryne stealing his food seemed to be one of them.

“So, what are your plans for the day, Miss Fisher?” He asked, automatically addressing her by her last name as he usually did when he was teasing her. His shoulders tensed as he realized the slip-up, given that they were still getting back to their usual banter, but he relaxed again when he saw Phryne smile. 

“Well… I guess I'll check in with my mother, Dot, Mac… I don’t really know," she admitted. She hadn’t really planned ahead for this time-out from life. "How about you?”

“Gardening, mostly,” Jack replied. “I’ve been meaning to prepare the garden for winter.”

He chuckled at the face Phryne pulled. “You’re welcome to help, you know, in case you get bored…”

“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind,” Phryne groaned into her coffee and Jack laughed, getting up to refill his cup.

When he turned back around, his last slice of toast was missing from his plate and Phryne was looking up at him innocently.

“Phryne…”

“Yes, Jack?”

“Nevermind,” he shook his head with a resigned smile. “I’m going to go change, let me know if you need anything."

Phryne stayed put as Jack got changed, still sipping her coffee when he came back into the kitchen. She almost choked as he walked past her, now only dressed in shorts and a tank top, highlighting his toned arms. And his thighs. And his abs. She swallowed and smiled innocently at him when he raised an eyebrow, then eyed his butt over the rim of her mug as he got a glass of water, quickly averting her eyes when he turned back around. 

She decided a cold shower was in order. 

As the cold water rained down on her, Phryne's thoughts unwillingly drifted from Jack in his gardening outfit -a thought which defeated the point of the cold shower-, to his reaction when she had entered the kitchen that morning. Who had he been texting? He had already been glued to his phone at the hospital, which was highly unusual for him. 

Phryne sighed and turned off the tap, drying herself off. When she got back to her room she considered her clothing options, a wicked smile finding its way onto her face. It was supposed to be a hot day today, after all. She got dressed and then grabbed her phone to call her mother.

***

“I hope you put sunscreen on.”

Jack whirled around at the sound of Phryne’s voice, his eyes widening involuntarily before he gained control back over his face. He had been working for a few hours, cleaning up weeds and trimming hedges. He liked to keep his garden neatly maintained but work had been demanding these past few months and he had some catching up to do, getting rid of old plants and planting some new flower seeds to bloom in the spring. Phryne coming outside was a welcome distraction, in any case.

She was wearing shorts and the same light blue camisole she had been wearing last night in the kitchen, thankfully with a bra underneath. Though, if the bra was so much of an improvement Jack wasn’t sure, as his eyes ran over the black lace visible around the edges of the camisole. His face felt hotter than the sun warranted as he watched Phryne’s gaze trail over him in return, equally appreciative. 

“Not my first time out in the garden.” He replied to her question, trying to sound calm. “Have you come here to help?”

“Hm, I think I’ll start with observing,” Phryne deferred, sitting down at his little garden table and Jack smiled, turning back to his flower beds.

He worked in silence again, sometimes glancing over at Phryne in her chair who was either eyeing him or had her head leaned back and her eyes closed, enjoying the sunshine. 

It felt… nice, working in his garden, her quiet company by his side. He had missed this, being able to just enjoy each other’s presence without even having to talk, the fact that they were there together, enough. Thinking back, he realized that that had been his first sign that he felt more for her than strictly platonic feelings; the desire to just have her _there_ with him, calming and steadying, even though she was so full of energy. 

After another hour, the afternoon sun became a little too hot in Jack's skin and his stomach began making itself known, along with his mouth getting dry. He stood up and wiped his dirty hands on a towel, noticing the way Phryne sat up, to better track the movement of his hands. He had to be careful not to let her, being so obviously interested, get to his head. Not that Phryne had ever been shy with her affections, but this moment felt more… intimate, it being just the two of them, in his garden. It felt more significant after the talk they had had the previous day, as Jack felt that they were both on the same page now, their destination clear. At least he hoped they were.

“Would you like some lemonade?” He offered and Phryne’s grin was all the response he needed. 

***

A short time later, they were standing side by side in his kitchen, lemons cut and ready to be squeezed. Phryne had barely done two lemon halves and was already complaining. 

“Really, you could have just _bought_ lemonade, Jack.”

“Trust me, it’s better when it’s freshly made,” he smiled at her frustration. “You’re going to have to squeeze harder than that, though, otherwise it’s just a waste of lemons,” he pointed out, earning himself a glare from Phryne. 

“Like this,” Jack demonstrated, strongly squeezing his hand together, the muscles and tendons on his hand bulging as his fingers dug into the lemon before showing her the result.

Phryne swallowed as she watched his hand, transfixed. He might as well have been squeezing _her_ , heaven knew the simple gesture got her juices flowing. After a moment she realized that Jack was waiting for her to follow his example.

She regained her composure, smiling and batting her eyelashes at him flirtatiously. “Can you show me how, again? I’m afraid I wasn’t paying attention…” 

Jack gave her a look, seeing right through her. On second thought, Phryne acknowledged that pretending not to know how to squeeze a lemon probably wasn’t the best pretense. In fact, she had found that playing dumb didn't work with Jack in general, which was something that had frustrated her greatly in their early acquaintance. Even greater was her delight _now,_ when Jack reached out regardless, wrapping his large hand around her smaller one. 

“Like this,” he said again, softer this time, and squeezed. Phryne had to suppress a whimper at the sheer strength of his grip as they squeezed the lemon together, his hand completely wrapped around hers.

“I think you’re at an advantage just with the size of your hands,” she breathed as he eased the pressure again, praying that her voice sounded steady. Oh, how she longed to discover what else those big hands of his could do. 

Jack was silent, his hand still gently covering hers, his thumb stroking across hers so lightly that Phryne thought she was imagining the touch, at first. She looked up into his eyes, startled by the intensity behind them as they stared at each other, time seemingly standing still. Then something seemed to shift behind his eyes and Jack cleared his throat, taking a step back. Phryne tried not to let her disappointment show at his retreat, the moment between them gone, as she grabbed another lemon half.

“How many more of these?” she asked, avoiding his line of sight. 

“Maybe five,” Jack answered quietly. “Phryne, would you… do you want to watch a movie tonight?”

Phryne looked over at him in surprise. The offer seemed straightforward enough, given the heated moment they had just shared. She felt hope start to spark in her belly again, desperately trying not to let it get the better of her. She still had no indication that Jack wanted to take their relationship to the next level. Well, except for the way he had looked at her last night, and the way he had looked at her in the garden, and the way he looked at her right now. Phryne swallowed, hoping that she wasn’t imagining things.

“Yes!” She replied, rather more enthusiastically than she had planned, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it as she watched Jack's eyes light up.

“Good,” he smiled and they went back to squeezing the lemons.

***

After a quick lunch and the lemonade, Phryne stayed inside, shuffling through some of Jack's books while he kept working in the garden.

She regarded all of his books with great fondness, envisioning him sitting in his chair as he read through them, taking care not to mark them. By the wear on the outside of them, she could easily tell which ones he picked up more often, however, Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" seeming to be among his favorites. For all that he could be modern sometimes, it fit Jack's character for him to be interested in the classics, she thought. Add to that the fact that he had quoted Shakespeare to her several times, leading to some rather heated nights spent alone in her bed after he had gone home, and she highly approved of his choice in reading material.

As she had flipped through the pristine pages of Jack's literary collection, Phryne couldn't help but think of her own books, which were marked and dog-eared all over. She liked to think they complimented each other in this aspect, as they did in so many others.

***

The next time Phryne popped her head outside, Jack was just finishing up his planting, still looking as delicious as he had before. He greeted her with a smile and a tilt of his head that made her insides flutter, and she smiled back at him. All of this felt… right, in a way she hadn’t dared to dream about since their argument.

“Say Jack, do you happen to have more toilet paper anywhere in the house?” she asked with a grin and he laughed, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. 

“Stock-piled in the laundry room.”

“Ooooh, planning ahead I see! Toilet paper is a precious commodity these days,” Phryne teased.

“You know me,” he shrugged and she smiled affectionately. Yes, she did. 

Phryne went back into the house and to the laundry room, spotting the toilet paper on the shelf with a triumphant “Aha!”. She grabbed a roll and turned to leave again, her eyes just briefly passing over the laundry basket as she froze. 

There, right on top was a small piece of lacy fabric. Phryne felt her chest constrict as she stared at the offending garment, battling herself between respecting Jack’s private life and wanting to _know_. Her curiosity won out, predictably, and after listening for any footsteps in the hallway, Phryne grabbed the small piece of fabric, unfolding it to indeed reveal a pair of panties.

She felt her heart drop. Not only did Jack obviously have a woman over recently, he definitely slept with her. That's what underwear lying around meant, right? But it wasn't just lying around, it was laundered, her brain reminded her. That wasn't something once did for a casual affair, was it?

Phryne felt sick all of a sudden, the thought that Jack could have a girlfriend hitting her suddenly and out of nowhere. To be honest, she hadn't even considered the possibility. Her face grew hot as she stood there, another woman’s underwear in her hands. She really had no claim to Jack, she realized suddenly, becoming aware of how truly distant they had been this past month. If he was in fact dating someone there was no way she would know, and he would feel no need to tell her. 

Was it really possible that he was seeing someone? All the texting, hiding his phone from her, now this? But then why would he have issued the invitation for her to stay with him? It all made no sense. Phryne briefly felt triumphant as she considered this, then thought back to the conversation they had just had.

She _did_ know him, knew how kind he truly was. Her face dropped again, her heart beating almost painfully in her chest. It was entirely possible that Jack had acted solely as a friend this entire time, that he had invited her truly out of kindness and a desire to get their friendship back. Their friendship, but nothing more. She was a fool. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize again for this ending... don't ask me why there's angst again because I have no answer. But, if it's any consolation, the next chapter will warrant the rating of this fic. And it will definitely be up this weekend! Yay?
> 
> P.S. I sincerely apologize for the sentence about Jack squeezing the lemon and Phryne feeling her juices flowing, it just came out and then I loved/hated it too much to delete it again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Monday counts as the weekend, right?~~

After finishing up in the garden a few hours later, Jack took a shower, humming a tune as he rinsed himself off.

He had had fun today, with Phryne there, and it had seemed like she had enjoyed herself too. Their banter had come easily, the atmosphere relaxed. Well, except for that charged moment in the kitchen while they were making lemonade. Jack didn’t know why he had pulled back. Maybe he didn’t want their first actual kiss to happen in his kitchen over half-squeezed lemons, maybe it just hadn’t felt quite right. In any case, he had regretted the decision almost immediately, trying to salvage the moment by suggesting they watch a movie. 

And Phryne had seemed happy with that, her eyes sparkling at him as they drank the lemonade and ate a light lunch, and Jack had found himself eagerly anticipating tonight. But then earlier, when he had passed Phryne on his way to the shower, her mood seemed to have shifted entirely. She had looked almost… sad, Jack thought, and she had looked at him as if she knew something he didn’t. He didn’t like it. 

***

“So, what have you been up to the past few weeks?” Phryne casually asked him over dinner, at least she hoped it sounded casual, as she poked around her plate.

“The usual,” Jack responded, chewing. “Work, mostly.”

“Nothing… exciting happen?” She pressed on and blushed slightly when he looked at her. 

“Anything specific you’re thinking about?” 

“No, no," her voice rose in pitch. "Just… you know, me wanting to know what’s been going on in your life.”

“Well, let’s just say it’s been pretty boring without you interfering in my cases,” Jack chuckled before taking another bite. 

Phryne looked back down at her plate. His answer should have satisfied her, it _would_ have, if there wasn’t the issue of black lace panties in his laundry basket. 

***

Jack let Phryne pick the movie, something she acknowledged with a slight smile, and sat down on his sofa, leaving enough room for Phryne to sit wherever she wanted. He tried not to let his disappointment show when Phryne sat down on several feet away from him. Maybe they weren't back to normal after all, for before, she would have jumped at the chance to sit close to him, teasing him with looks and fleeting touches. 

It wasn’t like Jack had expected her to climb into his lap, though a man could dream, but he had thought that their legs touching would have been a possibility, given the way they had gotten close in the kitchen earlier. He wondered if he had misread her interest in the situation, in him. Or had he said something, somehow overstepped and that was why she was being so distant? 

Jack was still considering whether or not he should just _ask_ her about it, when the movie started, Phryne's eyes firmly fixed on the TV. He sighed and sat back, deciding to talk to her after the movie was over.

***

As the movie played, Phryne wasn’t really paying attention to the plot, instead watching Jack out of the corner of her eye. After a while, he shifted and flung his arm over the back of the sofa, leaving a rather perfect space for her to cuddle into.

Surely, if he was seeing someone he wouldn't offer such a blatant invitation for physical contact. Or maybe he was just oblivious, which he usually wasn't, but then again she couldn't be sure. Phryne groaned inwardly at her most uncharacteristic indecisiveness. Maybe she just had to test the situation and push him a bit.

With that in mind, she got up to use the bathroom, a visit that was spent looking at herself in the mirror and trying to tell herself that she would be fine however he would react, before returning to the living room. 

She walked back over to the sofa and sat down, much closer to Jack this time. She put one hand on his knee as she shifted around, pulling her legs up underneath her so that her knees were touching his thigh, before removing her hand with an innocent look at him. He seemed sufficiently flustered but didn't pull away, instead moving his arm so that his hand rested on her shoulder, his fingers lightly stroking her skin.

Jack, for his part, didn't hear a single word of what was being said in the movie, all of his attention focused on Phryne.

He had been surprised when she had sat down so close to him but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, instead putting his arm on her shoulder, feeling more like a teenager on a first date than a full grown adult.

He found himself watching Phryne as the movie progressed, the elegant curve of her cheekbones and nose much more riveting to him than whatever was happening on screen. He realized the next move was his to make. Would it be too forward to fully put his arm around her and pull her to his chest? His palms were sweating at the mere thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw the credits begin to roll, making the decision for him. He sighed as he realized he had waited too long, and removed his hand from Phryne's shoulder as she sat up slightly, turning to look at him, her eyes unreadable.

“Would you like a drink?” Jack offered after a moment, starting to grow uncomfortable with the silence, and Phryne nodded, her gaze flitting over his face as if she was looking for something. He wished he knew what it was.

***

While Jack disappeared into the kitchen, Phryne got up and walked over to the fireplace, trying to distract herself from the comfortable warmth that had spread through her body during the movie, Jack's light touch on her shoulder, his calm breathing in her ear. Hope had bloomed in her chest as they had sat there, the touch too intimate for his intentions to be anything but romantic, right?

She would have to just ask him if he was seeing anyone, Phryne realized with a sigh. The current situation was torture. She heard glasses clinking in the kitchen and ran her fingers over the mantle, examining the few framed pictures on there. One was of Jack as a kid, standing next to his bicycle, which brought a smile to her face. Another one was of his sister and her family whom she’d met at Jack’s last birthday dinner. The last picture was of his parents. No pictures of him with another woman, of course.

Phryne didn’t hear Jack approach again, flinching when his hand appeared beside her head, offering her the glass of whiskey he was holding. She turned around, startled by how close he was, and reached out for the drink, her fingers brushing across his as she wrapped her hand around the glass. She heard his breathing shift, almost imperceptibly, and felt her own speed up as she let her hand linger atop his, holding on to the glass together.

She slowly raised her eyes to Jack's, desperately trying to tamp down her arousal at his nearness, and was met by dark and equally hungry eyes, fixed on hers, before Jack let them drop to her lips. Surely he couldn’t be seeing anyone else if he looked at her like _that_?

Phryne felt him move the glass, bringing their joined hands backwards a bit to set the glass down on the mantle. Now that the obstacle between them was gone, he intertwined their fingers fully, softly holding on to her hand as he brought it between their two bodies. Phryne stood stock-still, her eyes still locked onto Jack's as she felt him shift closer, his other hand coming up to rest on her hip. 

Her breath hitched, her own free hand moving up to grip his arm, pulling him forward infinitesimally without input from her brain until she felt his hot breath on her face. Jack met her eyes again, his stare intense as he tilted his head, Phryne's own tilting backwards to give him better access as he leaned forward, their lips a breath apart…

“Jack,” Phryne whispered, lightly pushing back against his arm. She hated herself for it but she had to know.

“Hm?” He murmured, his own brain foggy with desire and something more, the anticipation of their kiss tangible in the air between them. 

“Are you… are you seeing anyone?” Phryne watched as Jack stilled, his eyes becoming clearer, his brow furrowing as her heart pounded in her chest.

“What?" He asked incredulously, searching her face to make sure he had heard her correctly.

"No! Why... are you?” Jack stepped back as he uttered the words, the confusion evident on his face and Phryne regretted every having brought up the issue in the first place, her body swaying forward as his hands left her. 

“No!” She exclaimed quickly. Really, this was all going wrong. 

“Why…” Jack closed his eyes before speaking. “ _Why_ would you think that?” He asked, running a hand over his brow.

He thought he had done his best to make his intentions clear, had just been about to finally, _finally_ , kiss her, and she seemed to have been on a different page entirely this whole time.

Phryne blinked, looking wholly uncomfortable with the situation, which was a small consolation to him.

“I don’t know, it’s just… you’ve been on your phone a lot, and then this morning you hid the screen when I came in and…” Saying it out loud, it all seemed rather silly, Phryne realized and she opened her mouth again to defend herself.

“You think I’m seeing someone because I won’t let you see my phone?” Jack interrupted her, exasperatedly. 

“Well, yes… no, oh, I don’t know!,” She exclaimed. “Why do you have women’s underwear in your laundry room?” 

“Why do I have what?” Jack seemed genuinely at a loss now, his eyes wide, and Phryne's expression matched the confusion visible on his face.

“You have women’s panties, in your laundry room." She began slowly, unsure why she had to explain this to him as she had found them in _his_ house. "Black lace,” she added for good measure, watching his face closely as realization dawned on Jack's features. 

He now looked rather flustered than surprised, running his hand over his face and taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again.

“Alright. Not that it’s _any_ of your business whose underwear I have in my house,” he started, “but fine, they’re Rosie’s.”

“Rosie, as in your ex-wife, Rosie?” Phryne asked, her voice rising to almost a shrieking pitch as she spoke. 

“Yes.” Jack was tempted to just leave it there and offer no further explanation, she was the one who had snooped through his things, after all. But the shock in Phryne’s eyes, as well as his growing desire to get them back to where they had just been, about to kiss, made him reconsider. Phryne swallowed thickly and Jack finally decided to take mercy on her. 

“I went through some old boxes from storage a few weeks ago and found them.” He explained. “I… well I wasn’t really sure what to do with them. Rosie is in Sydney now but throwing them away seemed a waste…” Jack was suddenly regretting his decision to explain as he realized that his reasoning was rather odd, his suspicion confirmed by Phryne's raised eyebrows.

“You… laundered and kept your ex-wife’s panties.” Phryne repeated slowly, making sure she had understood correctly. By the uncomfortable look on Jack’s face, she had. 

“I wanted to give them to her the next time we saw each other." He swallowed. "It’s not like I _did_ anything with them,” Jack continued, then at the horrified look on Phryne’s face realized what he had suggested and hastily tried to back-pedal.

“Um, I mean… okay, no! You know what, I don’t owe you an explanation.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest and took a few steps back, suddenly feeling defensive. 

“I'm sorry Jack, I shouldn't have presumed...”Phryne trailed off, torn between amusement at the situation and embarrassment at the theories she had constructed in her head. 

“Do you really think I would invite you to stay, _you,_ if I was seeing someone?” Jack spoke after a moment, softening his tone. 

“Well, I don’t know, you _are_ just obnoxiously nice sometimes, Jack,” Phryne huffed. “And given we weren’t exactly on the best of terms when you issued the invitation…”

“Well, _of course_ , that’s part of why I issued it in the first place!” Jack blurted out, throwing his hands in the air. Phryne’s eyes widened as she stared at him, her brain slowly catching up to what he was telling her.

“I’ve missed you,” Jack admitted, more quietly. “I didn’t realize how much, until I saw you at the hospital.”

“Oh, Jack." Phryne whispered and paused, her fingers fidgeting in front of her body. “I missed you too." Her voice was barely audible as she spoke, before she adopted a self-deprecating tone that was much more in line with her usual self. "To be honest, way more than thought I would.” 

Jack smiled wryly at that, running shaky fingers through his hair, mussing up his curls in the process. Phryne reminded herself that they were having an important and sincere conversation. Now was not the time for her mouth to start watering, but the man really made it exceptionally difficult to focus sometimes. 

“What does that mean?” Jack asked her honestly and Phryne felt a lump in her throat. What did that mean, indeed? 

“It means I’m glad to be here with you. And I’m very glad you’re not seeing anyone.” 

Jack nodded, despite her non-answer, his eyes not leaving hers.

“Do you… want to skip back to a couple of minutes ago?” Phryne asked hesitantly, her smile as close to shy as Phryne Fisher could get.

“I… yes. More than anything." Jack confessed, but stood rooted to his spot. "But I think… I think maybe we should sleep on this. Make sure that we’re both ready, that we both want this.”

He swallowed, wondering why on earth he was suggesting sleep when he could be kissing her right now, but he forced himself to continue, needing her to understand. “Because once we take this step, we can’t go back. I’ll be all in, Phryne, I can’t do it any other way."

Phryne was quiet as the enormity of the conversation they were having dawned on her. Just a few minutes ago she had thought Jack was seeing someone else, that any romantic relationship she had planned with him was off the table, and now… well, now everything could, no, _would_ change.

Personally, she was happy to just jump into his arms and let him have her, but where she was impulsive, Jack liked to think about things, it was part of why they balanced each other so well. And to be honest, the significance of taking the next step, and the risk of destroying their friendship in the process, wasn't lost on her either. 

“Are you… would you be okay with that?” Jack asked hesitantly when she still hadn't replied and Phryne pulled herself together, putting a smile on her face and watching his expression relax in return. She slowly closed the distance between them, making sure he was with her, before she brought her hands up to rest on his chest; the position more familiar than it should have been, given that they had only been friends up until now. Though, maybe they had just been trying to tell themselves that.

“Of course," Phryne spoke softly. "But Jack? Know that I won’t change my mind.”

Jack smiled and Phryne felt his arms wind around her waist to hold her close as he dropped a kiss on her forehead. Phryne looked at him again, feeling as if she was looking at him for the first time, before turning her face to lay her head on his chest.

They stood like that for a while, enjoying the moment, their hearts steadily beating against each other.

***

A short time later, Jack was lying in his bed, wide awake, letting the evening, and their unexpectedly frank conversation play back in his mind. At the time, he had thought he needed more time to process everything before they took the plunge, but now he was alone, unable to think of anything but her, regretting not just kissing her right then and there in his living room. He wondered if Phryne was still awake, if she was also kept up by thoughts of what almost happened, of what he was sure would happen in the morning.

Jack closed his eyes, trying to think of anything else but Phryne lying in her bed, and immediately found himself back in his living room instead.

_He slowly pulled Phryne closer by her waist, her eyes fixed on his until they got too close and her lashes fluttered shut, curving beautifully across her cheekbones. He could feel her exhale on his chin, felt her hands clenching in the fabric of his shirt, right before their lips met for the first, or second, time. The kiss immediately turned carnal, the simple touch of their lips not enough as their mouths opened, tongue sliding against tongue and lip and teeth, greedily devouring each other after having been denied for so long._

_Phryne’s hands were at his belt buckle and he groaned, moving them backwards until her back hit a wall. He pushed her up against it, swallowing her moan as his hands on her hips moved down, firmly grasping her arse and pulling her to him. He felt himself freed from the confines of his trousers, pressing needily into her belly until Phryne’s hand wrapped itself around his cock, stroking him up and down a few times. He moaned and his head dropped forward to press his forehead against Phryne’s, catching his breath before moving his hands to the front of her body, unbuttoning her shorts and letting them fall unheeded to the ground._

_He barely registered her stepping out of them, his hands already busy at her hips again, tracing the border of the lace fabric between her thighs. Phryne gasped sweetly in his ear when he ran a finger underneath the fabric, running over neatly trimmed pubic hair, then further down until he encountered her wetness._

_“Jesus, Phryne,” he groaned before kissing her again, surprised at how affected she seemed to be, dripping along his finger even though they had barely touched each other._

_With one firm push, her panties joined her shorts on the ground and Phryne pulled back a bit to pull her top over her head, nodding at him to do the same. He swallowed, almost tripping in his haste to rid himself of his remaining items of clothing as he watched Phryne undo her bra, leaving her naked, her skin glowing in the soft lighting of his living room._

_In three steps, he was on her again, crushing his mouth to hers and moaning when she responded eagerly, pushing him backwards until his knees hit the sofa and he toppled over, his lap immediately filled by Phryne as she straddled him. He felt her wetness against his cock first, his hands dropping to her hips to guide her movements against him while she cupped his face in her hands to kiss him again, darting her tongue into his mouth at the same time she swivelled her hips to take him inside._

_“Yes, darling,” she gasped when she was settled, her inner muscles gently fluttering around him, drawing another groan from him. “I've dreamed about... oh, this, for so long.”_

_It was a simple admission, yet it broke the last of Jack’s restraint as he bucked his hips into her. He moaned at the look of ecstasy on her face as he set a fast and steady rhythm, Phryne rocking herself backwards to fuck him back, both of them quickly approaching climax. He could tell she was close, felt his own orgasm build, his entire focus on Phryne, the way her slick body moved around his, the knocking sound of…_ the knocking sound?

Jack tore his eyes open, his hand wrapped tightly around his cock, fisting up and down his length. He jerked his head over to the door, where indeed he could hear quiet knocking. 

“Jack?” His name, almost inaudible through the wood, sent his heart into overdrive as he was pulled back into reality. He was lying here, masturbating to a fantasy of Phryne Fisher, who was now standing just on the other side of that door. He felt dizzy all of a sudden, as the thought crossed his mind that she had _heard_ him, and knew exactly what he had been doing. 

Then again, _she_ was the one who knocked, Jack realized, even as he was already moving off the bed, pulling on boxer shorts for propriety’s sake, though given the way his cock was tenting the fabric, it was somewhat of a moot point. 

He was aware that he wasn’t thinking straight, close to orgasm as he had been, his journey across his room mainly driven by lust and his never-ending desire for _her_ , but for once he didn't care. 

Jack took a deep breath, and pulled open the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't leave you (or Phrack) hanging for too long, just need to finish editing the next chapter. 
> 
> Also, I highly, _highly_ appreciated everyone’s theories about who the panties belonged to!! 😄😍


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand here we are. :D

They had eventually separated in the living room, saying goodnight in a rather forced manner but with a new sense of understanding between them.

Phryne had brushed her teeth, and put on the pair of pajamas Jack had lent her before she lay down on the bed. She even closed her eyes, though she suspected it was pointless, feeling her body vibrating with anticipation and excitement, as well as poorly-suppressed arousal. 

After about an hour of turning restlessly in her bed, Phryne eventually sat up, looking across the dark room. It was becoming increasingly clear to her that she wouldn’t be able to sleep. She wondered if Jack was still up. After a few moments of consideration, she came to the decision that she was willing to find out. 

Phryne got up, her heart already beating faster in her chest, and once again she cursed her nerves that she wasn’t used to. Sex was her domain, of sorts, Phryne reminded herself. Of course she knew why she was nervous; Jack was one of her best friends. But it wouldn’t do to be nervous when she was trying to be seductive. With that intention in mind, Phryne stripped down to the pajama top, unbuttoning the top few buttons for good measure. If they were going to do this she may as well give him easy access. She wondered if the image of her dressed only in his pajama top would affect Jack as much as she hoped it would. 

She closed her eyes, ignoring any lingering doubts about whether or not he’d turn her away, if he was even awake, and opened her door, quietly stepping out into the hallway and taking the few steps to his room. She held her breath and put her ear to the door to listen for snoring, her eyes widening when she heard different sounds entirely. 

Phryne’s heart immediately started hammering in her chest, her stomach tingling and fluttering uncontrollably as she listened to the undeniable sound of Jack pleasuring himself. He groaned softly, making her bite her lip to keep her own moan contained, a useless endeavour when he groaned again, but this time it was her name, uttered softly and desperately. 

She had her hand raised, before her brain even registered what she was doing, knocking on the door. Jack hadn’t seemed to hear her as he moaned again and Phryne clenched her thighs together. She knocked again, a little more firmly this time and then the moaning stopped. 

“Jack?” She uttered quietly, surprised she was even able to get the word out, his name catching in her throat as her heart pounded against her ribs.

She could hear some shuffling from inside the room and pressed her ear even closer to listen, when the door was suddenly jerked open and she stumbled forward, right into Jack’s arms.

***

Phryne registered three things immediately. One, Jack was not wearing a shirt, or much of anything, really. Two, his body was like an oven, his skin hot against her even through the fabric of her shirt. Three, his cock was poking rather insistently into her lower belly. 

She briefly felt triumphant to have her theory of what he had been up to confirmed, but then she raised her head to look at him at lost her ability to think. His pupils were blown wide, his gaze hungry and wanting on hers, both of them staring at each other, unsure of how to proceed. 

Jack was frozen, his brain torn between mortification and arousal. If Phryne hadn’t known what he had been doing before she’d knocked, she definitely knew now, the evidence of his activities pressing into her stomach. Though she didn’t seem to mind. And, in fact, Jack realized as he came out of his reverie, she was wearing much less than she had presumably gone to bed in.

Jack’s hands kept moving downwards without much input from his brain, and he dimly registered Phryne pushing herself even closer to him as he reached the bare skin of her thighs, her skin incredibly soft beneath his fingertips. The movement brought their faces closer together, their exhales hot huffs of breath on each other’s skin, but neither of them dared to breach the front lines just yet. Jack was breathing heavily now as he dragged his fingers around to the back of Phryne’s thighs, scratching his nails up to the crease of her buttocks and higher, feeling… more bare skin.

Jack heard himself growl, as he realized she was naked underneath the shirt, and his self-control snapped. 

Phryne heard Jack’s low sound of want, and then his lips were crushed to hers, eliminating all sensations but the heat of his mouth on hers. She met him in the kiss from the beginning, opening her mouth to admit his tongue as she lunged up against him, Jack’s hands on her ass pulling her closer simultaneously. She felt as if the entire history of their relationship was somehow encompassed by this kiss, all of the longing both of them had felt for months unleashing a torrent of emotion and passion that left them breathless and wanting more. 

Without consciously moving they found themselves at the edge of the bed, their mouths never parting, hungry sweeps of tongue and lips and teeth, along with greedy hands, exploring everything in reach. Phryne felt as if she floating, Jack’s arms wrapped tightly around her as if he never wanted to let her go.

She didn’t want him to ever let her go. 

Jack squeezed her ass again as if to reassure her and Phryne gasped, leaning forward to topple them over and they tumbled onto the mattress. 

They broke off their kiss briefly, panting against each other before Jack hauled her up again to recapture her mouth. He wanted to drown in Phryne’s kisses, the soft sweep of her tongue against his, the nip of her teeth against his lip, the way she gasped and sighed as he sucked at her tongue in return. They didn’t seem to be able to stop kissing, now that they were finally here, hard clashes of their lips and soft stings left by teeth soothed by loving caresses.

Phryne pulled herself up to lie fully on top of Jack, her arms twining around his head to hold him steady as she kissed him with all she had, delighting in the gasps of pleasure he couldn’t contain. Jack was no less busy, kissing her back and thrusting his tongue into her mouth while he cupped her ass again, his large palms spread across the firm globes of her buttocks, squeezing and stroking until his fingers nudged up against her core. _She was dripping._

Phryne tore her mouth from his as she gasped, then moaned when Jack’s fingers found her clit, and she dropped her forehead to his shoulder, rocking herself back wantonly in a bid for more contact. 

“Phryne,” Jack groaned, more than a little overcome, teasing her clit and opening for a moment longer before grasping onto her hips to roll them over, trapping one of her legs with his as he came to lie half on top of her, recapturing her lips with his immediately. Phryne responded eagerly, pushing herself against his thigh between her legs, the wetness he could feel on his skin where she touched him making Jack lightheaded. He pulled his leg back and she whined, the sound turning into a hopeful moan when he moved his hand down, firmly pushing her thighs apart before trailing his fingers up the inside of one leg, looking down to see what he was doing. 

“Don’t… don’t tease,” Phryne gasped against his neck, her hands tangled in his hair while she rolled her hips, trying to get his fingers to where she wanted them.

“I won’t,” Jack promised, and then his fingers finally reached their target, slipping through her folds with ease. Phryne was clinging to him as if she needed him to breathe, a sentiment he could relate to at the moment, and he raised his head again to capture her lips with his, kissing her hungrily as he thrust two fingers inside of her. Jack eagerly swallowed her moan, pressing his cock into her hip to keep his arousal in check. He had been so close to coming before, but now his own arousal was almost forgotten. All that mattered to him was seeing Phryne shatter in his arms, at his doing. 

He pumped his fingers into her a few times before flattening his palm to press against her clitoris, his thrusts growing more shallow but adding stimulation where she needed it. Phryne arched up and into him, her nipples poking against his chest even through the shirt she was still wearing and Jack moaned again. He pulled his hand back briefly, sinking his fingers deeper inside of her again to give her more pressure, bringing his thumb up to press on her clit. 

Phryne bucked her hips against him helplessly, trying to pull his fingers even deeper as they drove her higher and higher. Jack was now pressing on her clit at a deliriously good angle and her hand flew down to grasp his wrist, keeping him there…. right there. Phryne couldn’t think, couldn’t speak, was hanging on the precipice, Jack half on top of her, his fingers inside of her. Phryne arched again, her inner muscles starting to flutter around his fingers as her eyebrows started to knit together. She heard Jack groan above her and tore her eyes open with the last shred of control she had, meeting his dark gaze, filled with lust and desire and admiration and love....

Jack crooked his fingers inside of her and Phryne fell apart on a moan of his name, clutching his hand to her as her body curled around his arm, shuddering against him. He watched, mesmerized, as she came, looking more feral and beautiful than he had ever been able to conjure up in his fantasies.

Phryne gasped out a laugh as her body gradually relaxed, Jack’s hand still inside of her while he dropped kisses against her temple, across her cheek, until he reached her mouth, softly pressing his lips to hers. Phryne returned the kiss and finally released her hold on his wrist so he could pull his fingers out of her, before rolling towards Jack, encountering no resistance as she pushed him to his back. 

Jack panted and stared up at her in awe, his hands stroking up and down her naked thighs as he watched Phryne slowly unbutton her pajama shirt, revealing more and more skin to him. When the shirt was open he grabbed the fabric, greedily pulling it apart to reveal all of her, her pale skin almost luminescent in the moonlight. Jack reached up to cup her breasts, their small weight the most delicious sensation in his palms, her nipples pebbling even further against his fingers. He trailed his gaze down, over the taut skin of her belly, down to the dark patch of hair between her legs, currently positioned on his thighs, just below his cock where it was straining against the fabric of his shorts.

“Phryne,” Jack groaned once more, nudging his hips upwards as much as her weight on his thighs allowed and she smiled, running her hands up his arms and over his chest, before running her fingers down to the trail of hair below his belly button, leading into his underwear. 

“Don’t tease,” he begged with a slight smile, repeating her earlier plea and Phryne grinned as she acknowledged this, arching her back to push her breasts more firmly into his palms.

“I’ve waited too long to tease,” she breathed sweetly before leaning down to kiss him again, her action and words taking Jack’s breath away, her admission remarkably similar to the one she had made in his fantasy. The sound that left him when Phryne moved up slightly and rolled her hips right against his cock was almost embarrassing, his hands clutching at her back and hips, trying to get her to do it again. This was 100 times better than any fantasy, Jack realized; not that he had ever really doubted it.

Before he could pull Phryne close again she was sitting next to him, her fingers at his waistband, a wicked smile on her face and the next thing Jack knew, he was naked, Phryne pressed against his side, her hand on his cock. 

“Fuuuuu….” Was all he could muster and in a bid to take some control back, Jack rolled towards her again, rocking his hips into her touch as he ate at her lips, pinching her nipple for good measure. 

“Jack,” Phryne gasped when he let her breathe again, stroking firmly up and down his length. “Do you have condoms?”

“Hm? Oh, yes!” He scrambled off of her as his foggy brain caught up with her. She laughed softly at his urgency, but Jack couldn’t bring himself to care as he fumbled with his bedside table, pulling open the drawer and producing a whole box of condoms. Phryne’s eyebrow arched approvingly at his stock, and Jack returned a wry smile. He wasn’t as out of practice as she might have thought.

He ripped open a packet and crawled back onto the bed, unsurprised when Phryne once again pushed him to his back to rise over him. Jack was about to make a quip about her always having to be in control, but any witty banter on his tongue died when her hand wrapped itself around his cock again, the other taking the condom from his suddenly limp hand. He was sheathed in no time and then Phryne was hovering over him, her hands on his chest to steady herself, her thighs straddling his hips, slipping against the sweat coating both of their bodies.

“Ready?” She murmured against his lips and Jack almost laughed, wrapping one head around her neck to pull her down, kissing her soundly. 

“Please,” he panted, pushing her hip down with the hand not cupping her face, while lifting his hips, nudging his cock against her. 

Phryne smiled, keeping her eyes locked with his so she didn’t miss a moment. It should have felt significant, yet it didn’t, not really. It felt natural to have each other so close, to finally join their bodies as their hearts had a long time ago. 

She moved her hips and guided him with one hand, sinking down onto him slowly, relishing each inch of intrusion until Jack was settled inside of her, their pelvises flush against each other. 

Another time, she would tease him, draw this pleasure, this indescribably good feeling, out for both of them. Another time, she planned, she would fuck him hard and fast, leaving him wrecked and panting beneath her as she made him lose control. 

For now, Phryne wanted to make love to him. She pushed herself down even more until Jack couldn’t have gone further if he’d tried, before raising herself up. Jack was looking at her helplessly, his hands on her thighs, her waist, her breast, fluttering around her to touch all of her. They both groaned as she moved, her inner muscles holding onto him tightly as she moved up and down his cock, the friction making her wetter by the second, the angle deliciously good for both of them. 

The entire time they looked at each other, baring themselves completely to the other’s gaze. It was a new feeling for Phryne and a long-forgotten one for Jack, equally overwhelming for them as they panted and moaned together, the sounds of their pleasure rising up around them.

Jack watched Phryne’s face intently, saw the tightness around her eyes increase as she kept moving, saw how she closed her eyes for longer amounts of time before forcing them open again as her hips lost their rhythm, stuttering against him every now and then. He felt her start to pulse around him and moved his hand on her waist down to where they were joined, his fingers slipping in her moisture as he found her clit, pressing down on the swollen nub. 

Phryne’s moans rose in pitch, her fingers on his pectorals turning to claws. Jack saw the exact moment her orgasm hit her, her eyes widening as her face contorted in pleasure, her mouth dropping open, her tongue pressing against the upper line of her teeth, while her inner muscles tightened around him, massaging his cock in strong ripples as her body shook atop his. 

After a few seconds that seemed to last forever, Phryne’s eyes finally fell closed from exhaustion as her orgasm slowly subsided, though Jack could still feel her trembling against him, both inside and out. He held himself still, his thumb just lightly resting on her clit now as he let her recover, holding off his own orgasm with a herculean effort, but never wanting this moment to end. 

“So beautiful,” he whispered, his voice overcome with emotion and Phryne groggily lifted her head to smile down at him. 

“So are you,” she replied softly, reaching out to stroke through his hair, which was probably sticking up all over the place, before gently caressing his cheekbone down to his jaw. Jack urged her down to kiss her again, groaning deep in his chest when he felt her tighten around him. Phryne chuckled wickedly, raising her head just enough so he could see her smile.

“I want to see you come,” she spoke earnestly, before brushing another kiss against his lips, the touch so distracting that Jack almost didn’t register her words. When he did, however, he surged up against her, delighting in her surprised squeal as he balanced her on his lap, crawling over to the edge of the bed where he lay her down again as he came to stand next to the mattress between her spread legs. 

Phryne’s satisfied smile was all the encouragement Jack needed to start moving, knowing that his own release wasn’t far away. He was able to reach deep inside of her at this angle, his thrusts hard and getting faster as he could feel his orgasm building almost immediately. Phryne’s thighs were wrapped tightly around his hips, drawing him in further, gasping sweetly every time he bottomed out inside of her. 

Jack watched in fascination as she brought one hand to her breast, squeezing her nipple, while her other hand travelled down between her thighs. He closed his eyes, trying to hold off just a little longer, wanted to enjoy this image of her wantonly spread beneath him as he fucked her while she touched herself, but it was if no use. 

He tore his eyes open to look at her as he felt himself catapulted over the edge, his hips snapping forward to bury himself inside of her, his eyes squeezing tightly shut as he came and came. He dimly registered Phryne rubbing herself frantically until she spasmed around him again, before he felt her wrap her arms around his torso to pull him down on top of her, his legs giving out underneath him. 

***

After a few moments Jack roused, aware of the condom he had to dispose of, and he pushed himself up slightly, securing the condom with one hand while he bent down to press soft kisses across Phryne’s chest, drawing a soft hum from her. 

“I’ll be right back,” he promised as he headed for the bathroom, pausing in the doorway to turn around, shaking his head disbelievingly at the naked and sated Phryne Fisher in his bed. 

“Hurry,” she murmured and he grinned, returning shortly after with two glasses of water. He smiled when he saw that Phryne hadn’t moved and, after setting down the glasses, bent down to kiss her again, hovering over her where she lay on the bed.

“Would you like to get underneath the covers?” He suggested, almost shaking his head at himself for how appealing the thought of Phryne sleeping in his bed was. 

“That sounds magical,” she sighed. “I have to use the bathroom first but I don't think I can get up,” she complained and Jack chuckled. 

“Would you like some help?” He asked, his hands running genty along her sides, lightly tickling her. Phryne laughed, twisting against his fingers.

“Please,” she spoke dramatically, playing the part of damsel in distress to perfection as she flung a hand across her face. 

Jack stood up and smiled when he saw her watching him through hooded eyes, before sweeping his hands underneath her knees and shoulders, lifting her just like he had done in the kitchen the night before. It was crazy to him how much had changed between them in the past 24 hours. Not that he was going to argue.

Phryne laughed again as he held her in his arms, the sound filling his heart with happiness, and he gallantly carried her to the bathroom, depositing her in front of the door and making sure her legs could support her. 

“I must reiterate, you’re very good at that,” Phryne grinned, having the same thoughts Jack had just had, and he couldn’t resist kissing her again.

***

A short time later they were cuddled up naked in Jack’s bed, Phryne securely nestled in the crook of his arm as his hand stroked her bare shoulder. Her own hand was on his chest, lightly trailing through the soft hair there. 

“I like touching you,” Jack murmured, the words simple but meaning much more to him. He had denied himself for so long, had resisted the magnetic pull her body had had on him out of a stupid sense of self-preservation. He wondered why he had ever felt the need to preserve himself, when at this moment he felt more secure and safe than he ever had before. 

“I like you touching me, too, Jack,” Phryne replied sleepily. “And I like touching you in return. In fact, there will be lots more touching.” 

He could feel her smile against his skin and he grinned. 

“Tomorrow?”

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the situation for the future of this fic. What I would like to do is have a _good few_ more chapters of Phrack quarantine times, all fluff and smut (because let me tell you, I have a list of some cute and hot activities for them to be doing in all areas of the house...). 
> 
> Would you like to read that or would it get boring you think?
> 
> Thank you so much for all your feedback, your comments and kudos make my days!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real life decisions are happening, hence the delay in posting. I hope to go back to updating every couple of days but who knows!
> 
> Thank you all so much, from the bottom of my heart, for the incredibly positive feedback on the last chapter. MFMM and your comments are definitely playing a big part in getting me through quarantine and I cannot describe how happy it makes me that you're enjoying this fic!!!!!

Phryne woke slowly, her face warmed by the rays of sunlight illuminating Jack’s bedroom. Her body was warm too, she noticed, Jack wrapped around her from behind. His arm was flung over her waist, his hand resting on hers where it lay next to her head and she felt his breathing, steady and even against her back and neck. 

Phryne was unable to stop the grin pulling at her mouth as she felt a feeling of pure happiness bubble up inside of her. She closed her eyes again, pushing herself even closer against him, the smile on her face staying put as she felt Jack’s arm tighten around her waist to hold her close. Phryne had thought about cuddling with Jack long before it had ever become a possibility. The thought had surprised her, scared her if she was being honest. Not that cuddling couldn’t be enjoyable, but more often than not she would feel trapped after a while, and rarely did she ever spend the night, sleeping, with anyone. 

There were nights, however, when she had felt lonely, after a particularly trying day, where she had longed for company beyond the physical satisfaction sex brought her. And Jack had found his way into her thoughts unbidden during those moments, the thought of his arms wrapped around her creating a feeling of security and warmth inside of her. 

Now that she was here, Phryne realized that there truly was nowhere in the world she would rather be than here in Jack’s arms. 

***

Jack smelled her before he really registered that she was actually here; remnants of her perfume and her own natural scent filling his senses as he slowly came into consciousness. The fleeting thought that he was having a particularly vivid dream was quickly replaced by the realization that the warm body in front of his was real. 

He blinked open his eyes to make absolutely sure he wasn’t imagining this, but there was no denying the dark head of hair nestled in front of him, the small hand underneath his in front of their bodies, the pale curve of her shoulder, the freckles on her skin calling to him. Jack had no intention of resisting that call and leaned forward to kiss the expanse of smooth skin before him. Phryne sighed and Jack realized she must have been awake.

“Good morning,” he rumbled, his voice husky from sleep, and he loosened his hold on her waist to let her turn over to face him. 

“Hmmm, a good morning indeed,” Phryne hummed, pressing her own kisses against his skin, trailing her mouth across his chest until she reached the dip at the base of his throat, flicking her tongue out into the hollow she found there. 

Jack wrapped both of his arms around her back, softly stroking one hand up and down her spine, slowly awakening her body as Phryne felt her nerve endings begin to tingle along the path of his touch. She arched against him as her nipples started to pebble, their hard tips brushing against Jack’s chest, drawing a soft gasp from her.

As she looked up at him, Phryne was struck once again by how much she was enjoying this soft touch and she watched Jack smile one of his secret smiles before he leaned down, softly touching his lips to hers. Kissing Phryne was still such a new sensation and Jack wondered if the feeling of her mouth on his would ever become boring to him. He sincerely doubted it.

He deepened the kiss, seeking out Phryne’s own flavor underneath the staleness of their morning breath, the swipe of her tongue against his just as delicious as it had been the night before. Gradually, his body became increasingly aware of her nakedness and her proximity, the memories of their kisses evoking other memories of the previous night, resulting in a predictable reaction. 

Phryne separated her mouth from Jack’s to trail kisses along his jaw, down his neck and across his chest once more. Both of them were breathing more heavily now, Jack’s breath leaving him on an audible exhale when Phryne gently pushed him onto his back, moving with him so she was lying half on top. She kept going with her kisses, flicking her tongue against his nipples before lightly biting down on them. 

Jack moaned, his hands going to her shoulder as Phryne moved across and down his body, gently nipping at his skin in some places, placing hot open mouthed kisses on others until she reached her target. Jack’s cock was rock hard by this point, curved upwards towards his belly button, straining for contact as Phryne placed soft kisses along his hip bones and down the crease of his groin, her fingers trailing across his skin, teasing him until he was trembling in anticipation. Phryne considered him, an affectionate smile on her face. His cock was beautiful, long and thick and curved; just right for her. 

_Mine_ , she caught herself thinking and covered her blush by blowing a breath across his hard length, her hair falling forward to cover her face. Immediately, Jack’s hands were near her head, gently brushing her hair back, wanting to see. 

Phryne shot him a sly look up his body, the visual sending another current straight to Jack’s cock and it twitched where it lay, untouched, on his belly. Jack’s hands clenched in Phryne’s hair, tugging slightly and she took mercy on him, bending down even further to lick a stripe up his shaft before encircling his base with her fingers. 

Jack could only watch, his breathing choppy, as Phryne took his cock head between her lips, the heat of her mouth hugging him in a warm embrace as she suckled lightly, tearing a curse from his throat. He briefly thought about how surreal this all felt, when Phryne started moving her head and Jack’s head fell back onto the pillows, his fingers tightening in her hair and on her shoulder. 

Phryne bobbed her head up and down a few times, exploring the ridges on his shaft as she coated him in her saliva. He tasted good, smelled good, too. She pulled her mouth off of him and replaced it with her hands, stroking him up and down firmly, twisting her wrists in a way that made his hips jerk into her touch. She grinned, unseen by Jack who still had his eyes tightly shut, and bent down to take one of his testicles into her mouth, lightly sucking at the soft skin. 

Jack’s hands were shaking across her neck as he groaned louder, his abdomen contracting as he felt her mouth on his balls. He wanted to reciprocate her actions, or at least be inside of her so she could get some pleasure from this, but the rushing in his ears drowned out all coherent thought, not to mention action, so he lay there, helplessly hurtling towards orgasm as he clutched at whatever parts of Phryne he could reach. 

Phryne’s lips returned to his cock, licking up and down his length again before she took him inside her mouth once more, sucking harder now, before fastening her lips in a tight seal around his crown, lighting flicking her tongue against him as one of her hands kept pumping him from below, the other caressing his balls.

It was too much, a sensory onslaught at all of his sensitive points and Jack only managed to whimper a warning before release shot through him, rushing through his cock into Phryne’s waiting mouth. Jack’s entire body felt as if it was exploding, all nerve endings stimulated as Phryne kept lightly sucking on his tip, pulling the last remnants of his orgasm from him. 

Jack was still twitching when she pulled back and licked her lips, her fingers lightly trailing over his spent cock and groin as she looked down at him, a satisfied expression on her face. Jack reached out with boneless arms to pull her up to him, kissing her soundly, enjoying the way she melted into him. Before he could gather enough energy to roll her over to reciprocate, however, Phryne had already pressed one last kiss to his lips, patting his chest before she extricated herself from his arms and got up off the bed.

“Breakfast?” She chirped, a grin on her face, as she bent down to pick up her discarded pajama shirt, pulling it -and nothing else- on, before she basically skipped out of the room, throwing him a sly look over her shoulder. 

Jack watched her disbelievingly, almost disappointed when she pulled on the shirt to cover her naked body before she left the room. He felt a stupidly happy grin spread across his face and he flopped back into the pillows, shaking his head as he realized that all of this was real.

Then his brain caught up with the fact that an almost naked Phryne Fisher was standing in his kitchen and Jack wondered what the hell he was waiting for. He got up, still grinning like an idiot, and opened a drawer to pull on a pair of pajama bottoms. He was almost out the door before he reconsidered, walking back over to his bedside table and grabbing another condom. One could never be too prepared. 

***

After a brief visit to the bathroom, Phryne found her way into the kitchen, a sweet flutter in her belly that she would have to examine more closely at a later time. It was a heady feeling nevertheless, and the giggle she had been trying to suppress burst forth when Jack entered the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind as he pressed a kiss against her temple. 

He pulled back a bit, surprised. “Are you okay?”

“More than,” Phryne reassured him as she brought her hands up to cover his. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you make that sound before.” 

“Oh, I’m sure there will be many sounds you’ve never heard me make before,” Phryne smirked, pushing her ass against him slightly, her meaning clear. 

“Really? Well, I intend to learn all of them,” Jack murmured into her ear and Phryne shivered, tilting her head so he had room to leave a trail of kisses down her neck. 

“And how exactly would you go about doing that?” she asked rather breathlessly. She really _was_ very hungry but there were better ways to spend their time than eating. Food, at least.

“Well, I am feeling rather peckish,” Jack whispered, his hands now at the buttons on her front, slowly slipping them through their openings to unbutton the shirt again. 

Phryne relaxed into his hands, his touch slowly heightening her arousal that had started to build ever since she had woken up that morning. Soon her shirt was unbuttoned far enough for Jack to reach his hand inside, his fingers exploring her nipple as he cupped her breast in his large palm. Phryne decided that breakfast could definitely wait a bit longer.

Jack pressed another kiss against the side of her neck before he gently spun her around, capturing her mouth with his again, the hard points of her nipples poking into his bare chest, drawing a low sound from his throat. He backed Phryne up into the kitchen counter and then wrapped his hands around her, lifting her suddenly to set her down on the wooden surface. Phryne gasped in surprise, humming in approval as Jack’s mouth found her breasts, swirling his tongue around her nipples until she was panting, her hands clutching at his shoulders and head. 

Phryne tangled her fingers into his hair and gently but firmly pushed him downwards. Jack chuckled against the curve of her breast before he complied, bending down further as he trailed kisses across her belly, down to where her scent was stronger, drawing him in. He pushed at her thighs in a silent order to part them and Phryne eagerly complied, spreading her legs to bare herself to his gaze. 

And look, he did, finally being able to see all of her, the moisture on her rosy folds, the way her clit was peeking out at the top of her slit, how she was utter perfection, at least to him. The need to taste her overrode everything else and Jack groaned as he leaned forward, letting his tongue dart out to slip along her outer lips. Phryne panted for breath, whimpering at the first contact of his mouth on her heated flesh, leaning backwards onto her elbows before letting her upper body drop down completely on the counter as Jack increased the pressure of his tongue, slipping between her folds and parting them. 

He licked up from her opening to her clit, lightly suckling on the small nub, his hand pushing down on Phryne’s pelvis so she stayed still as her hips tried to move against his hold.

“Yes!” she moaned, her hands coming to tangle in Jack’s hair again, directing his movements against her.

Never in a million years would she have thought, just two days ago, that she would be sitting on Jack’s kitchen counter today, his face buried between her legs. The thought sent a new rush of arousal through her and Jack growled as he lapped at her, her wetness running down his chin. He found he couldn’t get enough of her flavor, slightly salty but sweet, and he thrust his tongue into her, licking at her from the inside while his hand on her pelvis moved down to trap her clit between two of his fingers, gently squeezing the sensitive bit of flesh. 

Phryne moaned, pushing herself closer against mouth, grinding against his eager lips faster and faster until Jack placed a hand on her pelvis again to keep her steady. He switched the place of his fingers on her clit and his mouth, gently probing her opening with his fingers before inserting two long digits into her, immediately crooking them upwards to press against the inside of her pubic bone. 

“Oh god, Jack,” Phryne whimpered, her abdominal muscles tensing against his palm on her belly as she curled forward, her thighs starting to shake around his head.

Jack looked up, meeting her eyes which were barely open but watching him, one hand on her breast. He moaned softly before refocusing on the task at hand, fastening his lips around her clit again as he sucked hard. Phryne tensed, motionless, before her release hit her and she came, shaking around his fingers and against his mouth, her hips writhing uncontrollably on the counter. Jack groaned as he felt her walls clench around him, keeping up the movements of his fingers as she rode out her pleasure against his hand and face.

“That…. that was...,” Phryne panted, at a loss for words as she came down, her head dropping back onto the wooden counter. Jack smiled, giving her folds a last loving lick before kissing his way back up her body, grazing across her nipples before pressing his lips to hers again, letting her taste herself in the kiss. Phryne cupped his face in her hands as she kissed him back, blinking back tears as she felt herself quite overcome by the fact that they could do whatever they wanted now, no more barriers between them. 

She broke away from the kiss as her stomach growled all of a sudden and Jack laughed quietly as he saw a faint blush on her cheeks. 

“Eggs on toast?” He suggested with a smirk as he pushed himself up, trying hard not to dive back between Phryne’s long legs which were dangling limply off the edge of the counter.

“You know just what to say,” she smiled, fluttering her lashes at him while she rebuttoned the pajama shirt, still lying spread out on his counter. 

He could get used to this, Jack thought.

***

Predictably, Phryne ate half of his breakfast along with her own, placating him by slipping into his lap and kissing him until he forgot he even needed to eat in the first place. 

They cleaned up in companionable silence, Phryne wrapping herself around Jack’s back as he finished doing the dishes. Now that she had full permission to touch him, she didn’t seem to be able to stop, nor did she want to, enjoying the feeling of his bare skin against her cheek. 

When he was finished Jack turned in her arms, hugging her to him as he kissed her forehead. Three words were burning on his tongue as they stood there, the intimacy almost overwhelming, but in the best way Jack had ever known. He was gathering up the courage to speak the words aloud when Phryne said something instead. _Soon_ , he promised himself.

“What’s on the agenda for you then, today?” She asked, pulling back slightly so she could look up at him, kissing his chin. Really, she hadn’t thought that she’d be the clingy one in their relationship but she just couldn’t let him go, wanted him to know how invested she was in all of this. _It’s love_ , her brain told her and to her surprise the thought didn’t scare her at all anymore. If this was was what love felt like with him, she never wanted it to stop. _She’d tell him so sometime_ , Phryne promised herself. 

“Hm, let me think,” Jack replied, squeezing her buttock teasingly. “You.” 

Phryne grinned.

“But also some work. And I’ve been meaning to take a look at my bike.”

“Hmmm, so many home projects,” Phryne was truly surprised at how many hobbies he seemed to be maintaining even with his busy work schedule. 

Jack shrugged. “It’s good to keep busy, I guess. Distracts from other things.” A shadow passed over his face. Without her to talk to the past few weeks, he had thrown himself into his old hobbies, trying anything to not think about her. It hadn’t worked of course. 

Phryne hugged him tighter, able to guess where his thoughts had gone. But they were past that now. Now, they were standing half-naked in his kitchen, the world at their feet.

***

They ended up sitting on the sofa next to each other, Phryne’s feet in Jack’s lap as she read one of the books from Jack’s shelf, though she couldn’t have been able to say which one, while he caught up on paperwork. Phryne had put on underwear, wearing her short robe on top, and Jack had put on shorts and a t-shirt, as he 'couldn’t do work dressed in only pajama bottoms'. He had, however, transferred the condom from his pajamas to his shorts. 

Phryne found that she wasn’t really registering a word on the page, her eyes on Jack half of the time instead, quietly observing him over the edge of her book. 

“I can hear you thinking,” Jack eventually commented, not looking up from his laptop. 

Phryne dropped her book onto her stomach and huffed out a breath, flexing her feet in his lap. Jack still didn’t look at her and so she sighed again, her eyes fixed on him. 

He finally took off his reading glasses and set his laptop aside before turning towards her, his hands resting on her feet as her gave her his full attention. 

They looked at each other for a moment, Phryne debating whether or not she should just tell him she loved him to in an attempt to get the pressure on her chest to go away. But what if he didn’t want to say it back yet? She hadn’t told anyone she loved them in a long time. The last time she had allowed herself to fall in love had ended badly, not that that had had anything to do with her saying the words. But no, she would wait for him to say it first.

Jack, meanwhile, had taken up lightly massaging her feet, his fingers exerting a delicious pressure on the soles of her feet and Phryne felt herself relax into his touch. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to distract you from your work,” she murmured.

“It’s nothing that can’t wait a few minutes,” Jack gestured to the laptop, then paused. “You know you can talk to me…. if there’s something bothering you?”

“No no, nothing’s bothering me,” Phryne reassured him quickly, pulling her feet from his hands so she could sit up, straddling him in a smooth movement. 

“I am just finding myself unusually happy,” she spoke softly, brushing her lips across his. 

“In a lucky coincidence, I am finding myself unusually happy, too,” Jack smiled, stroking his hands underneath the edge of her robe, with no intention but to feel her skin. 

“You said your work could wait a few minutes?” Phryne asked after a moment, a cheeky glint in her eyes and Jack grinned as he caught her lips with his again.

***

The rest of the day passed quickly. They touched and kissed whenever they could and when Jack moved into the garden to work on his bike, Phryne followed, watching him as he worked, appreciating the way his muscles moved, sweat soon covering his body, his hands dirty. 

When Jack finally stood up and wiped his hands on a towel, the muscles in his forearms and shoulder bunching beautifully, Phryne bit her lip, feeling heat pool between her legs again. She couldn’t remember ever wanting someone so much. Jack’s eyes met hers, the curious expression on his face morphing into a knowing smile, the heat in his gaze reflecting the one in hers. 

He slowly walked closer, Phryne shifting in her seat to ease her arousal. 

“I should shower,” he remarked, his voice almost gravelly, it was so deep. 

“Or, you could stay like that,” Phryne suggested, licking her lips. Jack chuckled, shaking his head. He didn’t see the appeal of him being all sweaty and dirty but she seemed to like it. Far be it from him to deny her.

Phryne got up and closed the distance between them, trailing her pale fingers along his tanned arms and shoulders, flicking her nail against his nipple through his shirt to hear him gasp.

Jack kept his hands to his sides so as not to dirty her fine robe but he leaned forward all the same, capturing her lips in a hard kiss, sweeping his tongue through her mouth when she opened it to him. 

“Inside,” he growled and Phryne shuddered, her hands on the sash of her robe as she walked back into the house, Jack close on her heels. Phryne let her robe drop to the floor as soon as they crossed the threshold to the kitchen, gasping out a laugh when Jack was immediately molded to her body from behind, his hands leaving slight oily smudges on the skin of her belly. 

She was suddenly overcome by the desire to have him mark her, wanted his mouth to leave a bruise on her skin to remind her that this was real. She whimpered and Jack seemed to sense her urgency, flipping her around to face him again as they moved across the kitchen to his table. He’d never be able to eat at it again without thinking of this moment but he couldn’t have cared less, his hands greedily pulling Phryne’s panties off her legs while her hands fumbled with his belt. 

“Your kitchen is quickly becoming my favorite room in the house,” she moaned and Jack grinned, pulling his shirt over his head. 

“I say hold your judgement until we’ve explored all of them more thoroughly,” he murmured back and Phryne shuddered against him at his suggestion. Jack quickly retrieved the condom from his pocket, earning him another arched eyebrow from Phryne. 

“Is this another habit I’ve known nothing about?” She questioned with a nod towards his pocket, even as she took the condom from him and rolled it on. 

“Became one last night,” Jack returned and Phryne kissed him again, her touch almost bruising as she pulled him inside of her. 

The warm clasp of her around him felt like home, Jack thought, as he moved in and out of her. He fastened his lips to her neck and she gasped out her approval, holding his head tight to her, so Jack stayed there, the suction of his lips sure to leave a bruise. Phryne groaned as she felt the pressure on her neck, scratching her nails down his neck, tearing a moan from him in return. 

Jack was soon speeding up his strokes until he was almost pounding into her, the table scraping across the floor from the power of his thrusts. Phryne wasn’t complaining, whispered pleas of "harder, faster, _more_ ” in his ear spurring him on until he felt her spasm around him, her climax accompanied by a wail of his name. 

Jack briefly thought about the open door to the garden and the risk of his neighbors overhearing them, just before his own orgasm hit him and his hips slammed forward one last time, their bodies locked together as he came, Phryne’s inner muscles still fluttering around him. He didn’t give a crap about what his neighbors thought, he realized as Phryne giggled again, pressing a kiss against his shoulder while he held her tight.

***

After showering together, the process of getting themselves clean severely impeded by questing hands and hungry mouths, they were back in the kitchen, Phryne sitting at the table in a new pajama shirt while Jack examined the contents of his fridge.

“I could offer pasta, or chicken, or…. salad,” he concluded, glancing back at Phryne for her opinion. She unfolded her legs and got up, coming to join him in front of the fridge.

“Chicken you say? Breast or thigh?” She asked cheekily and Jack smirked. “Breast.”

Phryne grinned at him, the food moving further and further from her mind as his arm wound around her waist once again, when all of a sudden his phone rang. Phryne furrowed her brow, their day had gone on remarkably uninterrupted so far and she didn’t want the interruptions to start now. 

“I’ll get that while you decided on what you want to eat,” Jack said, gesturing to the fridge as he separated from her, crossing the room to where his phone lay on the kitchen table. 

“Robinson?” 

Phryne listened to him answer the phone, his formal answer indicating that it wasn’t anyone close to him. She couldn’t picture anyone from work calling him at this hour, either, and when Jack didn’t say anything else, just grunting a few affirmative noises, she turned, closing the fridge without looking. Jack’s expression was serious and the way he worriedly ran a hand over his brow immediately put Phryne on edge.

“Hospital” he mouthed, before turning his attention back to the call, angling his body away from her. 

Phryne felt herself freeze. In all of this, she had managed to completely forget what had brought them here in the first place, that day at the hospital seeming like a lifetime ago when in fact it had been little more than two days. 

_Neither of them had had symptoms though, had they? Or had the heat of Jack’s body the night before in fact been a fever?_ Phryne shook her head at herself. Surely, he would have communicated with her if he had felt unwell in any way. Now that she was thinking it about it though, her throat seemed to feel a bit scratchy. _Was it possible that she had been too caught up to pay attention to it?_

Phryne tried to calm her panic and felt her palms begin to sweat as she anxiously awaited the verdict of Jack’s test. She was uncertain of how either result would change their relationship. But most of all she didn’t want… he _couldn’t_ be sick, she tried to convince herself, almost not noticing that the call was coming to an end. 

Jack thanked the person on the other end of the line and hung up, turning back towards her. Phryne didn’t like the look on his face.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything will be fiiiiiine, I promise <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The muse _seriously_ abandoned me for these past two (?) weeks but it seems to be back!  
> Anyway, here is a loooong chapter to make up for the delay, hopefully!
> 
> Oh, and quick recap since it's been so long: Left off with Phrack in the kitchen, Jack just got a call from the hospital with his test results.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Jack?” Phryne’s voice was quiet and she examined Jack's face more closely as she anxiously waited for him to talk. He didn’t look worried or scared, really; more… sad, yes that was it. 

“They said that….” Jack began, before getting interrupted by Phryne’s phone, loudly buzzing on the counter. She made no move to answer it, her gaze firmly fixed on him. 

“That’ll be the hospital,” Jack commented, earning himself a look that plainly said “duh”.

“What did they _say_ , Jack?” Phryne pressed, her fingers nervously fidgeting in front of her body.

“Oh yes, sorry... my test was negative,” Jack informed her quickly, getting the most important thing out of the way and Phryne felt relief wash over her, her face relaxing, though not completely. She knew they weren’t in the clear until she had her results as well. 

“Okay! That’s good,” Phryne stated earnestly and gave him a small smile, nodding tensely, a gesture Jack returned, tilting his head in the direction of the counter to prompt her to finally answer the call. 

“Right,” Phryne exhaled, and took a deep breath before picking up her phone. 

_***_

Jack watched Phryne as she answered the call, a million thoughts running through his head. 

He was relieved about his own test result, of course he was, but he realized that if Phryne was infected, they both likely were at this point. The thought made his chest tighten. He was torn out of his thoughts by Phryne, ending the call and turning around to face him, a bigger smile on her face now. 

“I don’t have it either. Well, that’s what the test said and obviously it doesn't have to be accurate, but... I don't know, it's good news nonetheless, isn't it?"

Phryne grinned and Jack felt a giant weight drop off his shoulders, his body loosening before he tensed again as he now allowed himself to consider what this meant for them. 

All of the past day had been like a fantasy world, hadn’t it? They had had no outside responsibilities, no other contact, only each other to explore and get lost in. But now… now Phryne would surely go back to her apartment, if only for the sake of her mother? They wouldn’t see each other all the time, and in any case, did she even want to see him on a frequent basis or would she feel crowded by him? 

As his inner panic built, Jack didn’t notice Phryne approach until she was standing right in front of him, her soft body pressing up against his. She traced the furrow in his brow with a gentle finger, her other arm coming to wind around his waist to pull herself even closer. 

“You’re worrying,” she remarked softly, her head tilted back.

Jack was drawn to her gaze like a moth to a flame and he met her eyes, his throat tightening as he looked at her. 

She had been the center of his universe for a while now, but now that he knew the feeling of her against him, the taste of her skin, what it felt like to wake up next to her…. Jack suddenly realized never wanted to wake up without her next to him again.

He mentally shook himself. Deep down he knew that Phryne was as invested in their relationship as he was. But he would be a fool to think that nothing would change now. He didn’t really know how to respond to her comment, torn between withdrawing to protect himself, and his heart, or hugging Phryne closer, never wanting to let her go.

It wasn’t even really a choice, and he brought his arms up to wrap around her, the relief on Phryne’s face at his display of affection reminding Jack once again that he wasn’t in this alone.

“Just… thinking about logistics,” he murmured finally, hoping Phryne would understand without him having to elaborate on it too much. 

“Hmm,” Phryne hummed, processing this information, her eyes still on his. Jack held her gaze, his skin growing hot on his face as he saw her trying to figure him out. Then, she seemed to come to a conclusion and her gaze softened, a soft smile playing around her lips.

“I don’t think we should worry about logistics just yet, you know.” 

Her statement was accompanied by a soft touch of her lips to his and Jack automatically returned the kiss, the sensation still too new for him to choose to talk instead of kissing her (though he doubted that he’d ever make that choice, even when her touch had grown familiar). Finally, he drew back though, still a little confused by her answer. 

“But…” he began, ready to mount an argument of how they should talk about this, plan ahead so they were both on the same page, but Phryne interrupted him by kissing him again. 

“Not yet, please,” she spoke quietly against his lips. “We’ll figure it out, I promise.”

She drew back, her eyes pleading, and Jack swallowed at the urgency to her words, then nodded.

“The hospital did say that we’d get the results in 2 to 3 days…” Phryne continued, smiling, after feeling him relax. “Which gives us at least another..." she glanced over at his wristwatch, "18 hours to figure everything out.” 

Jack smiled back at her as he realized this and drew her up to kiss her again, his lips more demanding this time, Phryne's soft gasp fueling him on even more.

He quickly felt himself approach a point where he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop and he pulled back with great difficulty, lightly tugging on Phryne’s bottom lip as he retreated. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Jack rasped out, his voice husky from desire, but there was time for that later. Phryne smirked up at him, satisfied with his answer, and then glanced at the fridge over his shoulder. 

“I think we should have the pasta. And then a celebratory drink, and then…” she trailed off and nudged his groin with her hips, her meaning clear. Jack gently pulled her pelvis against him again and kissed her on the nose. 

“Deal.” 

Apparently they were still living in their fantasy world. 

_***_

They made it through dinner alright, but their post-dinner celebratory drinks were quickly abandoned, half-empty glasses sitting forgotten on the nightstand. 

Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed, Phryne in his lap, her thighs straddling his hips. They hadn’t stopped kissing since they’d gotten onto the bed, desperate to feel each other, the uncertainty of their virus tests having affected both of them more than they’d realized. 

What had started out as a soft kiss had soon turned rougher as they’d essentially torn each other’s clothes off, Jack biting at Phryne’s lip when she had grabbed his rock-hard cock, and Phryne returning the move when Jack had gripped onto her hips to pull her down onto his throbbing length.

Now they were joined, and still for the moment, Phryne’s inner muscles fluttering around Jack as he tried to keep himself from thrusting up, wanting to savor this moment, the feeling of her so hot and wet and soft. 

_All for him_ , Jack allowed himself to think and he groaned into Phryne’s mouth. 

His hands on her hips tightened reflexively when she started circling her hips, pushing her swollen clitoris against him to alleviate some of the ache there, gasping as she ground herself against him, her fingers clawing into his back.

“Fffff…. fuck me, _please_ ,” Jack pleaded desperately, sucking her lower lip into his mouth to hear her moan again. Phryne nodded frantically and finally _moved_ , raising herself up slightly before moving back down. 

Their mouths broke contact at the motion but Jack couldn’t have cared less, his fingers digging into her hips to help her set a pace, letting his head drop down to look at where they were joined, his pubic hair and the base of his cock glistening with Phryne’s arousal as she rose and fell above him, not moving far, but far enough for his cock to caress the sensitive spots inside of her.

She moaned desperately into his ear whenever he bottomed out inside of her, and she ground her clit against him with rolling motions of her hips that made Jack see stars. 

He raised his head with great difficulty, wanting to look at Phryne’s face but getting sidetracked by her breasts, bouncing tantalizingly in front of his face in time with her movements. Jack pulled her forward with a hand on her back, and she arched, her pelvis tilting in a way that increased her pleasure a hundredfold and she let out a guttural groan. 

The change in angle pressed her nipple against Jack’s lips and he hungrily swept out his tongue, drawing the hard nub into his mouth and suckling, feeling Phryne start to clench around him simultaneously. 

“There, right there, I… oh god, Jack,” the words left her on a stuttered breath, turning into a low moan as she tensed against him. Jack clutched her securely to him as she came, writhing and shaking in his arms, her limbs wrapped tightly around him, her face buried in the crook of his neck. 

Jack kept himself still, wanting this moment to last forever, his hips jerking against Phryne’s only slightly as her inner muscles clenched around him, but he managed to hold off, peppering kisses along Phryne’s neck and shoulder as she came down, her limbs loosening again. 

Jack released his hold when he felt her do the same, his palms spanning her buttocks as Phryne tilted her head to kiss him, languid and soft, her tongue sweeping across his with so much tenderness that he almost couldn’t bear it. She hummed, the vibrations against Jack’s lips zinging down to his cock, still hard and aching inside of her and he moaned softly. Phryne kissed him again, before pulling back, planting her hands on his shoulders for leverage as she grinned at him. 

Then she started moving in earnest and Jack couldn’t think anymore at all, the slide of her around him, with the fast pace she set, enough to drown out everything else. The house could have burned down around them and Jack wouldn’t have noticed, nor cared. 

He stared up at Phryne, mesmerized as she moved, lifting herself up and sliding back down smoothly, tightening around him whenever she reached his base. Her cheeks were glowing, her eyes sparkling down at him, her mouth wide in a triumphant grin as she rode him swiftly to the edge of orgasm. 

Jack could feel his spine start to tingle and he thrust up once or twice, hard, moaning as he heard Phryne’s responding gasps, her eyes falling shut. 

Then she met his gaze again, her eyes full of intent and her smile wicked as she let go of his shoulder with one hand, reaching behind her. Jack barely registered what she was doing until he felt her fingers at the base of his cock, caressing the width of his shaft before trailing down to his balls, lightly cupping and squeezing them.

He was gone, groaning as his eyes flew shut, his hands pulling her hips forward as his snapped up and he came and came, his forehead pressed against Phryne’s shoulder. 

They did manage to finish their drinks. 

_***_

Phryne woke up late the next morning, wrapped around Jack, who surprisingly was still asleep, given the hour. Her arm and her leg were thrown over him and she smiled as she recalled the entirety of the previous day, until she remembered that not everything had been entirely pleasant.

Her face dropped a little as she remembered that they would have to talk about how to handle their relationship now that they weren’t confined to the house anymore. How had Jack put it? Logistics. Phryne rather liked the term, feeling that it implied that they wanted the same thing, they just had to figure out how to get it. 

She closed her eyes again but stayed awake, starting to plan out what she thought would be a good solution for both of them. She hoped Jack would feel the same way. A while later, Phryne had almost dozed back off to sleep, Jack stirred beneath her, his eyes slowly blinking open. 

She regarded him fondly, from where she lay cuddled up against him. How the man managed to look adorable and so utterly _delicious_ when sleepy was beyond her.

Jack smiled at her when her saw her looking at him and Phryne felt her heart flutter, quickly leaning forward to kiss him to cover her emotions. She knew that he wouldn’t use them against her, and hell, he’d seen what she felt for him at various points over the past 24 hours, and yet… she’d been hurt before and she didn’t like feeling vulnerable, though she knew that if she was to be vulnerable around anyone, it would be Jack. She liked to think she could get to that point. 

For the moment, however, kissing him was a perfectly wonderful distraction for herself and him, and Phryne threw herself into the kiss, delighted when Jack reciprocated it right away, his mouth opening against hers. 

He moaned when she traced his philtrum with her tongue, and moved towards her, rolling them so Phryne was underneath, her legs on either side of his hips. She arched her back to press closer to him, feeling his erection nudge up against her through his pajama bottoms as he ran his hands over her sides. 

“How is it possible to want someone so much?” Jack growled out, his mouth leaving hers only to drop a soft kiss to the sensitive skin behind her ear, his hips urgently pressing into hers when he felt her shiver in response. 

“I don’t know, but I am not going to question it,” Phryne gasped, her hands already at his waist to push his trousers down. 

Jack chuckled before pulling back, retrieving a condom from the nightstand and sheathing himself before kissing her again, dropping one hand down between them to test her readiness. Phryne knew she was beyond aroused, grinning and looking up at Jack through hooded eyes when he moaned in surprise at the wetness he encountered. 

“I want you, too,” she said simply, and Jack shook his head, still disbelieving that all of this was real. He entered her slowly, Phryne’s sweet moan making him lose control as he thrust forward the rest of the way, tearing a much louder moan from her throat. 

He made to lever himself up, concerned that he had hurt her, but Phryne threw her arms around his broad shoulders, keeping him pressed on top of her. She enjoyed feeling so completely enveloped by him, the hard length of his cock inside of her, the warm weight of him pressing her down into the mattress. She knew Jack would move off of her in a heartbeat if she even hinted at being uncomfortable. 

Jack began to move; long, deep thrusts, each slide in and out as delicious as the next. Soon, Phryne felt as if she was floating, mumbling incoherent ramblings, soft gasps and his name as he carried her higher and higher, until the pressure of his cock against her walls became almost unbearable. 

Jack moaned her name then, deep and guttural, and Phryne tumbled over the edge with a small scream, waves of pleasure spreading throughout her body, her ankles locked tight around his hips to keep him close as she shook around him. Jack thrust into her once, twice, before he surrendered as well, coming with a shout of her name. 

“Good god, Phryne,” he groaned when he could think again and Phryne chuckled underneath him, running her hands up and down his back as they came down. 

_***_

When Jack returned to the bedroom after having taken care of the condom, Phryne had only moved slightly, now lying on her side, and she lifted up the covers in invitation. Jack slipped back into bed with a groan as he felt his muscles protest and Phryne’s fingers twined with his as he laid down on his side next to her, their hands sandwiched between them. 

“I’m not used to this kind of activity anymore,” Jack explained with a chagrined look and Phryne smirked, kissing him on the nose. 

“We can stop if you’d like,” she suggested, innocently looking up at him and he snorted. 

“My body can disintegrate for all I care, as long as you’re there with me,” he replied, the words unexpectedly honest and he blushed. Phryne just looked at him for a long moment, a soft smile on her lips, her thumb sweeping over his reassuringly.

“About the _logistics_ ,” she began with a smile and Jack swallowed as his brain caught up with the change in topic. To say he was nervous, about what Phryne wanted the next steps to be, would have been an understatement. 

“I’ve been thinking… the hospital did say that the test results weren’t necessarily conclusive.”

“Yes?” Jack frowned, not seeing where she was going with this yet but it seemed more promising than he had feared.

“Well… and they also said that it couldn’t hurt to self-isolate for a full two weeks.”

“They, um… yes they did say that.” Jack cleared his throat as he saw only tenderness in her eyes, allowing hope to bubble up inside of him.

“So, I was just thinking… that I could stay,” Phryne finished with a careful grin, looking up at him expectantly. 

Jack was too shocked to answer, her suggestion being one of the last things he had expected her to say, despite how much he had fantasized about just that scenario. Of course Phryne had seemed comfortable here in his house, in his bed, but her stay had been somewhat forced and he hadn’t allowed himself to _actually_ think that she would want to stay voluntarily.

Phryne misinterpreted his silence as a negative reaction, her face dropping. Her heart started hammering against her chest, her cheeks flushing. _Had the suggestion to stay been too forward? Surely not, she knew that Jack wanted them to be close. Didn’t he? He was the domestic type after all, not her. But somehow she had come to desire this, being near him for a longer amount of time, and she hadn’t even considered that he might want something altogether different._ Then again, Jack always had been good at surprising her.

“Unless of course you don’t want me to,” Phryne brought out hastily, almost stumbling over her words. “Which is fine, you know, of course it’s fine, it’s your house after all, I just thought...“

Her frantic rambling was interrupted by Jack’s finger pressed to her lips to shush her. 

“Yes.” He whispered, his voice slightly hoarse, betraying his emotions. 

“Yes?” Phryne breathed out, her relief audible and Jack just nodded and smiled, before he kissed her again, her tongue sliding sweetly against his as he rolled her underneath him again.

_***_

It had been around noon when they had finally managed to get out of bed and get some food into their bodies, both of them exhausted by their rather vigorous activities; their muscles, _and other places,_ Phryne had thought with a smirk, feeling delightfully sore.

Now, she was sitting in the garden, wearing one of Jack’s t-shirts that for her ended at around mid-thigh. Jack was inside, trying to figure out how to handle the upcoming days and weeks at work, fielding various calls from his boss and coworkers. 

Phryne for her part also had people to contact. She called Dot first to figure out logistics, as it were, informing her of the situation and trying to work out a plan for her mother. Phryne steadfastly ignored the younger woman’s teasing remarks, the thought of her and Jack's relationship being public knowledge less intimidating than she had thought. Though to be fair, Dot, and by extension Hugh, couldn't really be considered "public".

After some protest from Phryne, arguing that she could just _hire_ someone to buy groceries for her mother, Dot insisted on doing it herself, explaining that Hugh’s mother lived close-by to Phryne’s apartment and they were buying groceries for her anyway. Phryne had begrudgingly agreed, promising her assistant a giant bonus for her efforts, for which she was truly eternally grateful.

She did feel bad for leaving her mother alone at her apartment but realistically, it probably wasn’t a good idea to head back anyway until she was absolutely sure she wasn’t infected, seeing as her mother was in a risk group. Maybe they could see each other from afar, or over FaceTime at least. Or Zoom, which was apparently the new go to program for video calls.

Phryne sighed, already dreading the conversation with her mother so she called Mac next, instead. After a brief chat about the test results and how things were looking at the hospital, Mac got straight to the point, as was her wont.

“So, are you gonna go back home now?”

Phryne briefly thought about just lying, but quickly discarded the idea. She had never -okay, rarely- lied to Mac and she wasn’t about to do it now. 

“About that, actually… I’ll be staying at Jack’s for a while longer.”

Mac’s silence spoke for itself and Phryne could imagine the grin on her friend’s face perfectly. In fact, she was probably fist-pumping right now.

“I mean it’s really the sensible thing to do to wait the full two weeks, and better safe than sorry, right?” Phryne continued, somewhat pointlessly, knowing her friend saw right through her.

“Sure,” Mac snorted. “Better safe than sorry has always been your life motto after all.” She paused briefly, giving Phryne time to roll her eyes. 

“Are you happy?” Her friend finally asked and Phryne felt her heart flutter again, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of the t-shirt. 

“Very much so,” she answered with a slight smile and looked up just in time to see Jack walk into the garden. His gaze immediately went to her, a grin spreading across his face as he spotted her.

“Well, then I’m happy for you. Have you talked to your mother yet to tell her about all of this?” Mac asked.

“Ugh, not yet, don't remind me.” Phryne groaned, keeping a watchful eye on Jack as he approached, his eyebrow raised in question. She mouthed _“Mac”_ and he acknowledged this, but kept walking over until he stood behind her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders, softly stroking the sides of her neck with his thumbs. Phryne let her head drop back against his hands, her eyes closing in bliss as he gently massaged her. 

“Phryne?” Mac’s voice reminded her that she was talking to someone and Phryne ignored Jack’s chuckle behind her at having successfully distracted her.

“Um, yes, sorry. I spoke to Dot, she said she’d be able to bring by groceries to the apartment. I told her she doesn’t have to cook or anything but you know her… though my mother likes Dot a lot, so maybe the company won’t be too bad.”

Phryne sighed when Jack hit a particularly tender spot on her neck and then her breathing changed when one of his hands sneakily started trailing down her chest, steadily making its way towards her breast. 

“Dot being the good girl that she is,” Mac remarked and Phryne chuckled. “Not half as good as she’ll make you believe but if it gets my mother to cooperate, I’m not likely to point it out to her.” 

“You know that girl deserves a holiday when this is all over.”

“Oh, she’ll get the best holiday she’s ever had,” Phryne agreed. 

She breathed out heavily when Jack’s hand finally reached her breast, cupping her through the material of her shirt, gently kneading her soft flesh, her nipple starting to press against his palm through the fabric.

Mac said something else but Phryne didn’t register a word of it, all of her attention captured by Jack’s questing hand, now moving to her other breast to give it the same treatment. 

“Hm.. what?” Phryne mumbled when she heard Mac say her name repeatedly, shivering despite the warm day when Jack started planting kisses down the side of her neck.

“Oh... nevermind, I’ll leave you to it, Phryne. Say hi to Jack for me,” Mac snorted and Phryne hummed out a dreamy affirmative before ending the call, setting her phone down on the little table next to her, so she could reach up to cover Jack’s hand with hers.

“Mac says hi,” she sighed, tilting her head so Jack had better access, his tongue darting out against her skin as both of his hands were now on her breasts, squeezing them together and Phryne was grateful for his row of bushes and trees that prevented anyone directly seeing into this corner of his garden.

“Hmm… tell her I said hi back, next time you speak to her,” he whispered in her ear, sending a rush of goosebumps down Phryne’s spine. She marvelled at the ease of his seduction, guiding one of his hands on her breast down to her thigh. 

He chuckled at her urgency, easing his fingers underneath the hem of the shirt, his shirt, drawing small circles on the inside of her thigh, his smile growing wider when Phryne shuffled around, spreading her legs wider so he could reach her. 

Jack pulled back instead, the position of being hunched over not great for his back, and Phryne moaned in protest as he walked around her chair to stand in front of her.

He shushed her with a finger to her lips, mindful of his neighbors who, while they couldn’t see them, most definitely would be able to hear them. Jack didn’t need them to know _everything_ that went on in his backyard. He pulled Phryne up, tugging her against him and bent his head to whisper in her ear. 

“Can you stay quiet?” 

Phryne eyes widened in surprise at his forward question before she smirked, nodding and making a show of pressing her lips together.

“You don’t have to be mute,” Jack chuckled as he turned them so he could sit in the chair, pulling her sideways onto his lap. “Just no loud moans.” 

“What if I just can’t help it,” Phryne teased, wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching out to bite his earlobe as his fingers found her thigh again. Jack didn’t really know how to respond to that, shivering as he felt her teeth and bending his head to kiss her, deeply and thoroughly.

Phryne sighed into his mouth and pulled back slightly to pant against him as his fingers reached the apex of her thighs, lightly running over the damp fabric of her underwear. 

“Would you punish me, Inspector?”

Jack felt her words as a straight current to his cock and retaliated by pushing the fabric between her legs aside so he could press his thumb directly against her clit. Phryne jolted in his lap, her lips forming around a moan but keeping quiet and Jack moaned softly instead.

He had never really considered - alright that was a lie, he had in fact considered at great length what it would be like to have Phryne cuffed to his bed, able to tease her in all the ways she would tease him sometimes- but what he had never thought about was that she would harbor the same fantasy. 

Though it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise, given all the hints she had dropped over the course of their acquaintance of not minding a man in charge. Jack’s cock stiffened further as he realized all of the possibilities opening up to them and he suppressed another moan.

“All in due time, Miss Fisher,” Jack ground out, wanting this particular moment to be about her and Phryne smirked at him until he pressed against her clit again, moving his thumb in circles.

Her expression changed to one of pure lust and desire and Jack found himself captivated, unable to look away from the furrow in her brow and the high flush on her cheeks as he kept moving his thumb. Phryne’s hips were moving against him in no time, soft circles to push back against his hand and he decided to give her more by burrowing two fingers into her wet heat, a good decision judging by her quiet moan. 

He felt her flutter around him occasionally but mainly watched her face for the signs of her orgasm, cataloguing every minute change so he could remember and recall it later. Phryne’s eyes fluttered shut just as her fingers started digging into his neck, her hips moving quicker now. A red flush bloomed underneath the collar of her shirt, crawling up her neck and leaving her pale skin mottled with red while she took her lower lip between her teeth. 

“You’re gorgeous,” Jack gasped, not meaning to say the words out loud but Phryne didn’t seem to mind, her body tensing against and around him for a few glorious moments just before she shattered, writhing in his lap and biting her lip to keep her moans contained. 

Before her orgasm was over, Jack was already kissing her again, drawing her lip out from between her teeth to bite at it himself, before fastening his mouth over hers, capturing any remaining moans that left her. He could still feel her pulsing around his fingers a few moments later and he stroked her until she calmed, then he withdrew.

“I cannot believe that it took us so long to get here, just think of how much _fun_ we could have been having,” Phryne gasped and Jack chuckled, keeping his hands on her as she rearranged herself so she was straddling him, her legs hanging down on either side of his hips, her hands at his trousers where he was straining against the fabric. 

With her jostling of his belt, his phone almost fell out of his trouser pocket and Jack quickly reached for it to set it on the table next to the chair, glancing at the screen as he did so, automatically reading the message banner that covered his screen. He hastily turned over the phone and blushed, hoping that Phryne hadn’t seen his reaction. A foolish thing to hope.

Phryne stilled her movements, giving him a watchful eye, reminded of his odd texting habits she had first noticed at the hospital. Then she remembered that he had never actually explained who he had been texting so avidly, without wanting her to know who it was, and her curiosity was suddenly peaked. 

“Everything all right?” She asked and Jack tensed underneath her, his breath still quick from his arousal but his gaze as careful as hers. 

“Of course.”

“Who is that from?”

“No one.”

“It’s not…. it’s not Rosie, is it?” Phryne asked, suddenly wondering if that was why he had only explained the underwear. Regularly texting his ex-wife was a whole different beast than having her underwear from years ago in his laundry room. 

“No!”

“Jack, you obviously don’t have to tell me who you’re texting, it’s not like I share every conversation I have with you. I just think it’s odd that you’re hiding the screen from me.” Phryne went on, her tone now interrogative, but understanding. It was a confusing mixture. 

“I’m not hiding the screen,” Jack started to defend himself, then, at seeing Phryne’s raised eyebrow cleared his throat. “Alright I am. But it’s just my sister.”

“Oh! Why didn’t you just say that?” Phryne asked, relieved, but also somewhat confused. “Why can’t I see what she’s saying?” 

Jack was positively blushing now and Phryne couldn't help but feel that she was missing something. 

“No reason,” he rumbled.

“Hm.” Phryne sat still, before reaching out for his phone, with no intention to actually grab it, just to see if he would stop her. 

“No!” Jack exclaimed, his hand shooting out to grab her wrist as soon as he realized what she wanted to do. Phryne’s mouth hung open in surprise. 

“Sorry, but I can’t… I can’t let you see it.” He apologized, his body tense as if he was anticipating her trying to reach out again. 

“Is this some sort of confidential information? With your sister?” She asked, bemused and Jack blushed once more. 

“Jack…” Phryne began again, twisting her wrist out of his hold, which he loosened immediately, to run her hands up and over his shoulders. “Is it genuinely something you don’t want me to see?” 

“I don’t… I don’t know,” he stammered. That was interesting. 

“Does it have something to do with me?”

Furious blushing. Aha.

“And what if I told you I already saw the message?”

Jack tensed before narrowing his eyes. “You’re bluffing.”

“Maybe so,” Phryne shrugged. “But would you be mad if I looked at your phone?”

“Of course not,” Jack answered, confused and distracted by her hands, to the point where he couldn't move quick enough to stop Phryne as her hand shot out to grab the phone while she simultaneously jumped off his lap, running away with a laugh.

Even though Jack was only a second behind her, he could tell that Phryne had managed to read the message as her laughter stopped and she came to an abrupt halt, Jack having to twist his body around her so he didn’t knock her down with him as he stumbled and tripped, landing in the grass on his knees. He almost didn’t want to turn around, knowing exactly what the message from his sister had said. 

_\- Just tell her you love her already._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking with me! 
> 
> Whatever will these two get up to for their first proper quarantine activity? (Besides sex of course).
> 
> (Also yeah not the best cliffhanger but this chapter just would noooooot end)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They bake! (baroquestar guessed it!)
> 
> (Also, why is real time flying by so quickly????)

“ _This_ is what you didn’t want me to see?” Phryne asked, slightly incredulously. Judging by the way Jack had tried to protect his phone, she would have thought he was sharing state secrets with his sister. Though what exactly he _had_ been sharing with his sister was something she’d have to ask him about.

Phryne realized, then, all of a sudden, that he had been just as scared to tell her her loved her as she had been to tell him, a realization supported by the anxious look on Jack’s face when he turned around to face her, sitting in the grass. He shrugged helplessly before seemingly steeling himself for her reaction, squaring his shoulders. 

“Jack,” Phryne said gently, now trying to suppress the laughter that was building deep inside her chest. She didn’t want him to get the wrong impression, but suddenly she found the whole situation rather amusing as she realized how oblivious they had both been. 

Once again. 

She took pity on Jack and knelt down in front of him, taking his hands in hers from where they were resting on his knees. She felt him relax minutely as he saw that her expression was kind and Phryne resisted the urge to scold him for ever having anticipated a negative reaction in the first place.

“Well, do you?”

“Do I what?” Jack croaked. 

“Do you love me?” Phryne asked, a small smile playing around her lips as she moved forward, lightly pushing his legs apart to create a spot for herself to sit in. 

Jack stared at her, unsure of what she wanted to hear, before the rational part of his brain reminded him that she was currently crawling into his lap while asking the question.

“Yes.” He whispered, unable to stop the smile pulling at his cheeks.

Phryne grinned, almost triumphantly and Jack felt the tension in his body further draining away. 

“Then I think your sister is right,” Phryne stated, having settled herself in his lap, her arms winding around his neck to pull herself flush against him, her lips only a breath away from his. 

“She is?” Jack teased, wanting to draw this moment out and also, selfishly, wanting Phryne to ask him for the words. For a moment, the only sound around them was their breathing, before Phryne scooted even closer.

“Tell me,” she prompted, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she waited.

“Phryne Fisher,” Jack whispered quietly, pressing a soft kiss against her lips. Phryne resisted the urge to deepen the kiss immediately, her body almost vibrating with anticipation, but she stayed still.

“I love you,” Jack murmured then, pulling back slightly so he could look her in the eyes, but Phryne barely let him finish the words before she launched herself forward, capturing his mouth in a heated and hungry kiss that left no question to her approval of his declaration. 

Jack felt like he was drowning, swept under waves of the storm that was Phryne. He was vaguely aware that they were still in his garden, that they should probably relocate, but his hands pulled her closer automatically, not managing to get her close enough. 

And then Phryne pushed herself up, her lips swollen by his kisses and her face flushed as her eyes sparkled down at him. 

“I love you too, Jack,” she smiled, growing more confident with every syllable, saying the words out loud suddenly the most natural thing in the world. It felt good to say them, so good, in fact, that Phryne said them again, and again, as if to confirm them to herself, watching Jack’s face light up as if she had just handed him the universe on a silver platter.

He pulled her into another bone-melting kiss, rolling them in the grass as his hands were grasping at every part of her they could reach, soft skin underneath his fingertips while her equally soft tongue caressed his. Phryne broke the kiss and laughed, Jack’s favorite sound in the entire world he realized once again, and they paused, panting breathlessly against each other. 

“I wasn’t sure you’d want to hear it,” Jack explained after a moment, his eyes darting between hers.

“Me neither, at first,” Phryne said softly, reaching out to push a lock of hair back from his forehead. “But it turns out you keep managing to surprise me.”

“I do?” Jack asked teasingly, his smile equal parts smug and full of wonder. 

“Hmm.” She hummed out an affirmative.

“Let’s hope it stays that way, then,” Jack said, before sitting up and pulling Phryne with him, getting her draped over his shoulder in an astonishingly swift move. 

Phryne guffawed as he stood up and carried her inside, her laughter ringing through the house as Jack walked them to the bedroom, steadying her wriggling form with a firm hand to her bottom, cupping her ass cheek underneath the shirt. 

“Jack!” Phryne squealed as he deposited her on the bed, leaning over her as he took her in. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of looking at you,” he murmured in a gravelly voice, shaking his head.

Phryne’s eyes darkened and she pulled him in for another kiss before releasing him. 

“Take this off,” she commanded, pulling at his shirt, and Jack complied, pulling the shirt of with an ease that made Phryne’s mouth water. 

She wanted those hands on her, pulling at her nipples, gripping her hips as he slid deep inside of her. A naughty smirk played around her lips as she looked up at him. 

“Now flip me over,” another command, and Jack growled, flipping her onto her front as if it was nothing, a display of his quiet strength he usually kept contained. 

Phryne arched her back encouragingly, pushing her ass towards him and Jack ran his palms up the back of her thighs until he reached her buttocks, pushing the t-shirt up to reveal them. She could hear his breathing quicken as he cupped the firm globes of her behind before his hands travelled to her hips and Phryne found herself tugged upwards until her knees were stacked below her, her ass high in the air.

“Yes,” she moaned, unable to do much else, especially when Jack’s hands found her ass again, kneading the flesh of her buttocks before bringing his palm down on a slap. 

Phryne gasped in surprise, feeling a rush of moisture between her legs at the soft sting his slap brought with it, her thighs tingling. Jack paused, seemingly unsure about her reaction and Phryne moaned in encouragement, shuffling closer towards him. 

Jack growled in response, kneading her ass harder, his fingers slipping into the hem of her panties to pull them down to her knees, the cool air hitting her wet flesh making Phryne whimper.

“Jesus, Phryne,” Jack cursed as he ran a finger through her folds, spreading the wetness he found down to her clit. He brought his palm down on her ass again, not hard enough to actually hurt, but enough to make the flesh jiggle enticingly and Phryne jolted beneath him, pushing herself against his fingers between her legs. 

Jack tore his eyes from her cunt, trailing his gaze up her back to her face, her forehead pressed into the mattress, loose strands of hair falling over her cheekbones. She moaned when he circled his fingers on her clit and Jack suddenly, violently, needed to be inside of her, to feel her come apart around him like this.

He reluctantly removed his hands from her and Phryne turned her head, watching him through bleary eyes as he tore his trousers off and rolled on a condom before coming to stand behind her again. Jack stroked himself along her slit a few times, teasing but never entering, until Phryne bucked her hips, nudging his head inside of her and then there was no stopping as Jack pushed into her, feeling her hot wetness envelop his cock until his thighs touched hers. 

Phryne groaned his name, her hands clenching in the sheets beside her head and Jack looked up, his view of her back impeded by the t-shirt she still wore. Keeping himself pressed deep inside of her, Jack leaned forward, his hands sliding up her belly until he reached her breasts, her nipples poking into his palms as he cupped her flesh and squeezed, feeling her inner muscles squeeze around his cock simultaneously. 

“Fuck,” he cursed, pumping into her once, unable to resist. Jack fumbled with the hem of the shirt, urgently pushing it up around Phryne’s shoulders until she raised herself up a little so he could pull it over her head, pressing a bruising kiss to the back of her neck as soon as the shirt was gone. 

Phryne moaned, clenching around him, and Jack cursed again, palming all the skin in reach, pressing kisses along her spine and shoulders. 

“Jack,” Phryne whimpered, an unspoken plea for more and he straightened, his hands moving to her hips to pull her back in time with his movements as he started thrusting into her, harder and faster, feeling the tension in Phryne’s body build beneath his hands as he felt his own spine begin to tingle. 

Jack bent forward again, slowing his thrusts and lengthening his strokes, focusing on her pleasure, on the hot clench of her around him, the sweat on her back slippery against his chest. He could feel that she was close, grinding herself back against him, her moans rising in pitch, her desperate gasps, muffled by the mattress, driving him insane.

“I love you,” Jack groaned into her ear and Phryne nodded, frantically, as her orgasm started to sweep over her, triggered by his voice and his words, her thighs jumping against his as she convulsed underneath him. 

Jack’s arms around her kept her steady and upright but soon Phryne’s wild spasming around him was too much to bear and Jack tumbled over the edge along with her, his hips locking hard with hers as he poured himself into her. 

As their bodies relaxed, Phryne slumped over to the side and Jack slipped out of her, crawling forward to lie on the bed, his legs wobbly and tired.

They laid like that for a moment, catching their breath, until Phryne blinked open her eyes to look at him as she smiled, reaching out to stroke his chest. 

Sex with Jack was breathtaking in a way she had never experienced before, like her whole body was on fire, yearning for his touch, his voice, his presence, never sated until they reached completion, together. And even then, Phryne thought, feeling arousal build inside of her again as she looked at him. Insatiable, that was how she felt.

Jack smiled at her, utterly exhausted but with a happy glow on his cheeks, and Phryne wondered if he knew what she was thinking, trailing her fingers on his chest up to his jaw, tracing the sharp angle until she reached his ear, grinning when Jack breathed out loudly at the contact. She’d have to remember his sensitive ears for a later time. 

“Jaaack, you know what I am in the mood for?” Phryne asked with a grin and Jack raised an eyebrow as he shook his head, a look of slight trepidation on his face.

“Your biscuits.”

Jack snorted then, clearly caught off guard, before collecting himself.

“Is that an innuendo, Miss Fisher?” he smirked and Phryne lightly slapped him on the shoulder. 

“You know very well it isn’t. I have only managed to get into your secret stash _twice_ at the station and now that I’m here , I’ve been wondering where you keep the main stock,” she said slyly and Jack grinned. He wasn’t exactly sure why she had always been so keen on finding his secret stash, though the thrill of the chase had something to do with it, he supposed.

“What makes you think I bake them myself?”

“You’re far too possessive of those biscuits for someone else to have made them.” Phryne stated and Jack shrugged, neither confirming nor denying her claim. 

“Besides, I _may_ or may not have looked through your kitchen yesterday and you have an awful amount of baking supplies.” She looked at him innocently, though the challenge in her words was obvious, and Jack shook his head affectionately. Of course she would have done her research.

“Oh, and you didn’t find the biscuits while you were looking through everything?” he teased, trying to sound as surprised as possible, knowing that it would bother Phryne if she had overlooked something. She narrowed her eyes at him, an expression not particularly frightening given that her cheeks were still flushed from orgasm, her pupils blown wide. 

“There were no biscuits.”

“Hmmmm, maybe you just didn’t look thoroughly enough,” Jack teased her further, before dropping his act and laughing when he saw the look of offense on her face.

“Alright alright, the truth is, my supply is depleted at the moment.”

Phryne pouted, truly pouted and Jack chuckled, leaning over to kiss her, their lips clinging softly to each other before they pulled apart again.

“We could make some, if you wanted.” 

“We.” Phryne repeated, her forehead wrinkling adorably.

“I am not going to stand in the kitchen by myself just because you want biscuits, Phryne.” Jack returned, a sparkle in his eye and Phryne sighed. 

“Alright, fine.”

“Good!” Jack grinned, finally rising from the bed to take care of the condom, leaving behind an equally happy Phryne.

***

Phryne had pulled his t-shirt back on, and Jack had redressed entirely, arguing that baking naked was just not proper etiquette, a statement which earned him an amused look from Phryne. 

“Don’t I get an apron or something?” she asked, standing next to him in the kitchen, and Jack acknowledged this with a smile, handing her a folded apron from his cupboard. 

Phryne unfolded it, her eyebrows rising in amusement. 

_‘Now watch me whip’_ was written in a pretty font across the chest area, a whisk next to the writing to complete the pun.

“A birthday present from my sister,” Jack grumbled and Phryne laughed until he had to smile as well.

“Are you going to 'Nae Nae' for me as well, Jack?” Phryne teased as she pulled the apron over her head, and Jack looked at her blankly, confusion written plainly over his face. 

“Nevermind, darling,” Phryne smirked, patting his arm. Pop culture never had been one of his strengths. 

“I much prefer you whipping, anyway,” she added, lightly slapping his ass as she sidled up next to him and Jack’s eyes went dark as he recalled her reaction to his spanking her earlier.

“If you keep this up we’re not going to get a stitch of baking done,” he pointed out, pressing a kiss against her temple as he turned her around with his hands on her hips so he could tie her apron in the back.

“Fine then,” Phryne conceded. “Where do we start?”

***

To Phryne’s credit, she really did try… in the beginning at least. 

She had mixed the dry ingredients as per Jack’s instructions, since the recipe was “all up here”, as he had stated while tapping his head. Then she had watched and waited as Jack had stirred the butter and golden syrup together, picking at her fingernails as she had started to get rather bored. As the last step, they had distributed their dough onto baking sheets in spoonfuls, Phryne’s heaps significantly larger than Jack’s as she just wanted to be _done_ with it, earning herself a scolding but amused look.

Finally, the trays were in the oven and Jack stepped back with a satisfied smile on his lips, while Phryne watched him from the counter. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him so relaxed, well except during sex, but that didn’t count.

“That wasn’t so bad now, was it?” Jack asked as he walked over to her, coming to stand between her legs, his hands lightly resting on her hips while she was still contemplating her observations of him.

“Well no,” she admitted. “So this is what you do for… fun?”

“What can I say, baking relaxes me,” Jack shrugged, running his hands up and down her thighs. 

“It certainly is very relaxing. And quiet,” Phryne stated, wondering if he would want to bake with her more often, which she wasn't sure she was interested in doing. Though to be fair, ‘ _relaxing and quiet_ ’ very rarely were qualities she looked for in her hobbies. 

Jack just smiled, shaking his head knowingly and Phryne reconsidered her initial assessment of his hobby. The act of the baking itself was dull to her, sure, but seeing Jack so content and at peace was something she wanted to see more of. She realized that as long as she didn't have to get involved she would be more than happy to _watch_ him bake on future occasions and the thought brought a smile to her face.

“I have to say though, this was my best baking experience yet, I’ve certainly never had this attractive of an instructor before” Phryne smirked, her hands now having snuck underneath Jack's shirt, trailing along his abs and he chuckled. 

“I sincerely doubt that,” he replied, a sparkle in his eye. He was well aware of the range of attractive men, many more attractive than him no doubt, in Phryne’s past, as well as the various activities she had gotten up to with them. Sometimes it seemed there was nothing she hadn’t done, and Jack had to admit that her... worldliness had caused him some anxiety in the past; worries that had been thoroughly eliminated over the past few days, however.

“Well, alright,” Phryne conceded, memories of Pablo the baker coming to mind, though she quickly pushed them away, not wanting to think of any man but the one in front of her. “But this was still infinitely better.”

“Yeah?” Jack prompted with a smile and Phryne couldn’t resist kissing him again, tasting his smile.

“Yes.” A small peck. “Because I’m in love with you.” Another peck, a stupidly happy grin by Jack followed by a deeper kiss. They quickly got lost in one another, groping hands and nipping teeth, their bodies drawing closer together and tilting until Phryne reached her arm behind her to keep herself upright, her hand hitting something. A loud clatter of baking forms pulled them out of their haze, their lips parting with a soft pop and Jack chuckled, resigned.

“We should probably clean up.”

“But I’d so much rather get dirty,” Phryne pouted and if Jack’s body wasn’t already exhausted by the sheer amount of sex they’d had, he’d have taken her again right there on the counter.

“It’ll be quick, I promise,” he laughed instead, squeezing her sides before stepping away, trying to ignore the pressure of his cock against his trousers. Soon. 

True to his word, they were done quickly, washing and drying in tandem, Phryne’s laughter sounding through the kitchen when Jack scooped out remnants of the dough from a bowl and marked her neck with it, before bending his head to lick the trace off of her on a whim. 

He pulled back to see Phryne’s eyes fiery with desire and was just about to lean forward again when the timer for the biscuits went off, distracting him. Jack pulled back with an apologetic look that also held the promise for what was to come later, and dealt with the biscuits while Phryne finished washing the bowl, quietly humming to herself.

When she was done, she stepped up next to Jack, considerably more interested in the biscuits than before, now that they were done, and reached out to grab one. 

“Ouch!” She exclaimed, pulling her hand back as if, well, burned, her finger tingling.

“So impatient,” Jack chided as he pulled off the oven gloves he was still wearing, before taking her hand in his. “You know this is one of the first things they teach kids…. that stuff that comes out of the oven is hot.”

Phryne looked daggers at Jack but let him draw her hand up to his mouth with no resistance. He pressed a soft kiss against her burnt fingertip and watched as her face relaxed slightly. 

“Hmmmm, that feels much better already, Jack.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” He laughed. “Though I still recommend holding it under cold water.”

Phryne harrumphed, but followed him over to the sink, running water over her hand which did ease the sting. And then they were looking at each other again, her hand still in his, but the pain forgotten as Phryne watched Jack’s gaze darting over her face affectionately.

“You still have something there,” he murmured eventually, nodding towards her neck and Phryne smirked.

“I do?” 

“Hm yes,” Jack lied, ducking his head to press his mouth to the spot he had licked earlier, lightly suckling.

Phryne sighed contentedly and tilted her head to the side, an offer Jack took advantage of as he let his kisses linger, letting his tongue sweep out against her skin until she shivered against him, her hand clenching around his.

“What do you say we take a shower,” Jack murmured against her skin and Phryne had to strain her ears to hear him. “And by the time we’re done the biscuits will have cooled down and we can eat them.”

“A marvelous suggestion,” Phryne breathed as she looked at him tenderly. Her love for him was written all over her face, Jack realized, now that he knew to look for it.

The look of love stayed on her face, when he undressed her, when she undressed him, when he pressed her against the cool tile of the shower, when he buried his face between her legs until she curled around him, her thighs quaking, when she sank to her knees in return and took him in her mouth until his vision blurred and his knees buckled with the force of his release. 

Jack suspected the look was reflected in his own face as well.

***

A little bit later, they were sitting in the garden again, Phryne draped sideways across his lap, her head resting on his shoulder, a plate of biscuits next to them on the small garden table.

The sun had begun to set and they sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the cool evening air and the sounds of birds around them as they munched on their treats.

They were delicious, and Phryne had moaned in surprise as she took her first bite, before her face glowed with pride at having contributed to the result, Jack looking at her with amusement. 

As she ate the biscuits, Phryne realized another appeal the baking brought with it, as well as Jack's gardening, now that she thought about it; both activities creating something beautiful to indulge in, with the knowledge that the result stemmed from one's own hard work. She tilted her head and kissed Jack in between bites, ignoring the surprised look on his face before he melted into her touch. 

After her fourth biscuit, Phryne licked her lips with a satisfied hum, snuggling further into Jack’s chest as the air grew chillier around them. 

“Cold?” Jack asked as he finished up his own third biscuit and Phryne shook her head. 

“Just fine for the time being. What did your boss say, by the way? Is she going to let you stay home?”

“Mostly. I may have to go in once or twice, but she’d also rather be sure I’m not infected.” Jack explained, resting his hand on Phryne’s leg. 

“You know we’re going to need more condoms,” he pointed out and Phryne snorted at his violent change in topic. 

“Hm, have you considered yet who you would like to be the delivery person for that?” She chuckled and felt Jack’s chest bounce with suppressed laughter as well. 

“I was thinking I’d ask Hugh,” he managed to say with a straight face and Phryne giggled until Jack had to join in, and eventually they were doubled over with laughter, struggling to catch their breath. “Alright, maybe not,” Jack admitted when he could breathe again. 

“Hmm… I could ask Dot, she’s already been pestering me with comments about us. Or Mac, really she’d probably be the best option.”

“Doesn’t she have enough other things to worry about than our supply of contraceptives?” Jack chuckled and Phryne shrugged. 

“Honestly, I think she would love knowing that we are about to run out of condoms,” she grinned and leaned her head against his shoulder again as Jack chuckled, squeezing her lightly.

“Alright, Mac it is. If she has time.”

“Hmmm, I’ll talk to her tomorrow,” Phryne smiled. 

They chatted for a while longer, talking about Dot and Hugh, about Phryne's mother, about Shakespeare and gardening and baking until it was late, and then they sat in silence for a while longer, gazing at the stars.

After a while, Jack felt Phryne grow heavy in his arms and smiled, pressing a kiss against her forehead before carrying her to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thou asketh for doggy style and doggy style thou shalt receiveth, Particularfavorite! <3
> 
> That said, if anyone has any other requests (besides those already issued) let me know! I have no set plan for this whatsoever.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhh, I'm so sorry that these updates keep taking so long!! Here's another loooong chapter to come out of the delay, hope you enjoy!

Phryne was still asleep when Jack woke up. He was lying precariously close to the edge of the mattress, having been pushed to the side by Phryne who was spread out over the width of the bed. Her face was covered by wild strands of hair and she was snoring softly, her hand cradled, soft and warm, in Jack's palm next to her head. 

He would happily spend all his mornings like this, Jack thought. He allowed himself to consider Phryne’s face for a moment, bare of any make-up as it had been for the majority of her stay at his house. He liked that she felt comfortable enough around him to not put on her social persona and the guard that her make-up provided. As much as he appreciated her extensive wardrobe and red lipstick, he didn’t think he’d ever prefer it over this; her dressed in only his shirt and bare-faced, in his bed. 

He watched affectionately as Phryne scrunched her nose, before she resumed snoring, and he sighed, deciding to give in to the demands his bladder was making. Jack reluctantly slid his hand out from underneath Phryne’s, quietly getting up and pulling on his robe, a smile on his face.

***

Jack returned to the bedroom a short time later, two cups of coffee in hand. He carefully set one down at Phryne's side of the bed before rounding to his side, grabbing his phone before getting back into bed, careful not to spill his coffee.

Phryne began to stir when she felt the mattress dip, dimly registering Jack sitting down next to her, his back propped up against the headboard.

“Morning,” she mumbled, her eyes still firmly shut and Jack leaned over to press a kiss against her forehead, dropping his phone in his lap so he could stroke her hair from her face. 

“Good morning, yourself. Sleep well?” He inquired, taking a sip of his coffee before setting the cup on his nightstand, sliding one hand down Phryne’s back while he picked up his phone again with the other.

“Hmmmm,” she hummed, shifting forward into his touch, her eyes still closed. Jack smiled, checking emails and messages, the most recent one being from his sister. 

“I told Maggie that I followed her advice,” Jack said after he had read her message and watched as Phryne perked up, her eyes opening a bit.

“And?”

“I think for her, this was like her birthday and christmas present combined.” He chuckled and Phryne grinned, growing more awake by the second. She had only met Jack’s sister once, months ago, and she had seemed like the sort of person Phryne could see herself getting along well with. 

Jack’s statement reminded her of a question she had been meaning to ask, however.

“You know, Jack, I’ve been wondering… how ‘in the loop’ is your sister, exactly? She seems to be very invested in this relationship, not that I mind, of course...”

“She is,” Jack replied, looking slightly apologetic. “She started asking about you after meeting you at my birthday party and then, I don’t know... I guess you came up in conversation from time to time."

“From time to time?” Phryne’s voice rose in pitch and Jack couldn’t tell if she was pleased or offended by the frequency of her name being mentioned with his sister. Then again, he _did_ know her.

“Alright, somewhat frequently,” he admitted and Phryne grinned. 

“I had no idea.”

“Well, the conversations _were_ private.”

“Alright, fine. Well, what did you say about me?” Phryne asked, more and more intrigued, her eyes watching his face. 

“Do you want the positives and negatives, or only the positives,” Jack teased and Phryne pinched his thigh. 

“Ouch! Alright there were few… almost no negatives. I told her that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, like an angel with baby-soft skin and the bluest eyes, shining like the ocean after a storm… hey!”

Jack yelped as Phryne pinched him again, rolling her eyes. “At least _try_ to be serious, Jack.” She reprimanded him and Jack grinned. 

“Alright I didn’t use those exact words. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, though,” he admitted, watching as Phryne’s expression softened, and he leaned down to press a lingering kiss against her lips.

“Continue,” Phryne hummed, resting her hand on Jack’s chest now, slowly stroking the fabric of his robe.

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know, Maggie asked me, every now and then, how you were doing and more often than not I was able to tell her about a new case we worked together.”

Phryne smiled. “How did you get from _that_ to her telling you to confess your love for me?”

“Well… first of all I think Maggie knew I loved you long before I did,” Jack chuckled. “Must have shown through somehow. Once she even told me that I sounded like a love-sick puppy when talking about you.”

Phryne laughed, the intrigued look remaining on her face. “When was this?”

“Oh, um, after the... argument.” Jack tensed slightly at the memory. He deliberately didn’t tell Phryne how much of the first week afterwards had been spent wallowing in self-pity and mourning imaginary scenarios.

“She also told me I was an idiot, right around that time.” Jack went on while Phryne stroked her hand across his chest reassuringly. They were fine now. That was all that mattered.

“I’m guessing she was happy with this quarantine development?” Phryne asked gently and Jack smiled, trying to shake off the memories of their argument, as he nodded.

“Oh, very. I sent her _one_ update after we ran into each other while chasing the robbery suspect and then she immediately started bombarding me with text messages.”

“I thought you might have met someone, when I saw you texting at the hospital,” Phryne confessed. 

“I thought about it…” Jack replied and now it was Phryne who tensed up. “But there wouldn’t have been much point in seeing someone else, given that you had my heart all along.”

“Oh Jack,” Phryne whispered, stretching her neck to kiss him again.

Jack’s phone vibrated and they both looked towards his nightstand, his sister's name once again showing up on the display and Jack leaned over slightly to check the message. 

“She asks if we want to do a video call later.”

Phryne grinned. “Sure. Though we might have to change into normal clothes.”

“Now, that _is_ a shame. I’d much rather stay half-naked with you.” Jack smiled, sliding his hand around her further down her back. 

“We’ll just have to take advantage of our half-naked state until then,” Phryne smirked, pushing herself forward and Jack wrapped his arm more firmly around her to pull her onto his chest, their mouths a breath apart and his eyelids slowly drifted shut. 

To his dismay, instead of kissing him, Phryne turned her head, her eyes on his nightstand. 

“Did you bring me any?” She asked, her eyes glowing with hope.

“Any…” Jack repeated dumbly, his mind already having grown hazy from having her on top of him, before realizing that she was looking at his coffee. 

“If you would check your own nightstand, Miss Fisher…” 

He was rewarded with a kiss.

***

“This is the _best_ fucking thing I’ve heard in months,” Mac stated earnestly, loud enough for Jack to hear, where he was sitting next to Phryne on the sofa. After drinking their coffee, they had realized that there were, in fact, only two condoms left and had decided to call Mac rather sooner than later.

“I figured you’d like that bit of information,” Phryne smirked. “You’re going to like this next part even better.”

“What, did you run out of condoms or something?” Mac laughed, her laughter growing even louder when Phryne didn’t respond, her silence speaking volumes. Jack raised an eyebrow at hearing her friend’s loud laughter and Phryne shook her head at him, grinning.

“Making up for lost time?” Mac spoke when she could breathe again.

“You could say that,” Phryne replied thoughtfully, reaching out her hand to Jack, who took it in his immediately, sweeping his thumb across the back of her palm.

“Is it as good as you dreamed of?” Mac asked, her tone teasing but the question sincere, and that question _did_ bring a blush to Phryne’s cheeks, which didn’t go unnoticed by Jack. 

“Better.” 

“Oh, darling.” 

Phryne was surprised by the wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her, grateful when her friend continued speaking.

“Text me Jack’s address and I’ll swing by this afternoon with supplies,” Mac chuckled, having figured out Phryne’s reason for calling, without her even having to explicitly state it. 

“You are a literal angel,” Phryne said earnestly, eternally grateful for her friend. “Are you sure it’s not a hassle?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, there is nothing I would rather do, trust me.” Mac assured her. “Besides, you’d do the same for me. If I ever needed condoms, that is,” she chuckled. “What size do you need?”

Phryne smirked at the question, making a show of appreciatively trailing her eyes down Jack’s chest to linger on his crotch. 

“Large.” 

Jack blushed, looking slightly uncomfortable and Phryne squeezed his hand reassuringly as she finished up the call, thanking Mac a few more times before hanging up.

“Mac is stopping by this afternoon,” Phryne informed Jack with a triumphant grin.

“I don’t know if I can ever look her in the eye again,” Jack groaned, running his free hand over his face.

“Oh, nonsense, Mac is happier about this development than anyone. Well, besides us. And your sister, maybe,” Phryne grinned as she crawled into Jack’s lap on the sofa, letting go of his hand to loop her arms around his neck.

“Why did you blush?” Jack inquired after a long and thorough kiss, and he could see Phryne’s mind trying to remember at which point in the conversation she had blushed.

“Mac asked something and you replied with ‘better’.” Jack helped her out and Phryne blushed again, stroking a loose curl of hair back from his forehead.

“She asked if it was as good as I dreamed it would be.”

Phryne smiled when she saw the look of pure joy that now graced Jack’s face.

“I’d like to hear about those dreams sometime, I think. If you’d like to share them.” He whispered, pulling her closer by her waist until their upper bodies touched.

“Will you share yours in return?” Phryne asked with a smirk, gently rolling her hips against him, smiling when she felt him hardening underneath her. Jack surged up to capture her lips and Phryne let herself melt into his embrace with a moan, sweeping her tongue over his to hear him gasp. 

Jack’s hand had just traveled to her buttock, encouraging her to grind down on him more firmly, when they were interrupted by his phone. One look at the display made it clear that now was not the time for sex, as he saw his boss' name flashing across the screen. 

“Hmmmm, what a shame. Later, then.” Phryne promised, having followed Jack's gaze. She pressed one last kiss to his lips and Jack squeezed her side apologetically before she got off his lap, throwing him a sultry look over her shoulder before going in search of her own entertainment. 

***

'Later', turned out to be after several hours of work for Jack. Phryne had passed the time with reading and talking to her mother, who assured her that she was doing fine by herself in the apartment. After having successfully deflected any nosy questions about her and Jack, Phryne promised her mother to call again tomorrow, before hanging up with a sigh. She'd have to figure out a better solution for her mother, and maybe sending her on a plane back to England wasn't the worst option.

Phryne wandered back through the house in search of Jack, finding him at the kitchen table, in front of his laptop. He smiled when he saw her enter, pushing his laptop away from him and taking off his reading glasses. 

“I’m bored,” Phryne confessed as she walked behind him, running her hands over his muscular shoulders before letting them trail down his chest, smiling when he didn’t stop her, relaxing into her touch instead. “How is work?” 

“Neverending.” Jack sighed. “Mostly catching up on paperwork. Since I’m working from home, my boss has deemed it the perfect task for me. But eventually it had to be done, anyway.”

“Hmmm, anything I can do?” Phryne murmured, her stroking hands almost having reached his trousers, the fabric at his groin beginning to tent. 

“Paperwork never was your strong suit. But... I believe I have time for a break,” Jack smiled, reaching forward to close his laptop before leaning back again. Phryne grinned, bending to take his earlobe between her teeth, Jack’s resulting groan resonating through her. She swept her hands down the rest of the way to his lap, running her fingers along the length of him, now pressing against his trousers. 

Jack moaned, his head dropping back against her shoulder as his hips tilted into her touch, trying to increase the pressure of her hand. Phryne’s fingers were still playing lightly around his crown as she ran her tongue along the shell of Jack’s ear before taking his earlobe into her mouth again. 

Jack’s hips bucked forward, his hand flying to hers to press it down harder. 

“Fuck, Phryne.” He cursed, groaning when she finally gripped him more strongly through the fabric. 

“Hmmm, would you like me to take care of this for you?” Phryne hummed directly into Jack’s ear, feeling heat pooling between her legs when she felt him shiver.

“I want to be inside of you,” he murmured, reaching back to grip her buttocks and now it was Phryne’s turn to shiver. 

“Oh… are you sure you want to use up our second to last condom?” She asked, gasping when Jack tugged her around to his front, standing up to kiss her, hard.

“Mac will be here in a couple of hours, I’m sure we’ll make it until then.” He spoke in a dark voice, his hands busily disrobing her before grabbing onto her bare skin, one hand coming up in between them to cup her breast. 

“Hmmmm, if you say so,” Phryne moaned, coherent thought quickly leaving her when Jack kissed her again, biting at her bottom lip before sucking her tongue into his mouth. Just when she felt her knees go weak, she felt Jack’s hands on her waist, turning her around.

He was pressed against her back immediately, still clothed, his erection pushing at her buttocks as his hands swept over her front, one traveling to her breast while the other dipped between her legs. 

Phryne whimpered as Jack’s fingers pressed right on her clit, pulsing against her before one of his thighs nudged her legs apart, his fingers slipping further down between her folds while his thumb stayed on her clit. His hand on her breast pinched her nipple and Phryne moaned again, rising onto her toes when she felt Jack’s thick fingers breach her entrance, her back arching against him as her head dropped back onto his shoulder. 

In no time, her hips were moving in a steady counter-rhythm to his fingers pressing inside of her, but it wasn’t enough, the angle not ideal, and Phryne moaned in frustration, her need to climax building with each torturous stroke and pinch of Jack’s fingers. 

“Jack!” She pleaded and he understood, removing his fingers abruptly and pushing her forward so she was bent at the waist, her elbows on the table to brace herself. Phryne heard Jack fumbling with his clothing behind her, and snuck one of her hands beneath her to play with her clit, her hips rolling against her hand as she felt herself climbing. 

The curse Jack muttered, along with a growl she had never heard him make before sent a rush of arousal through her and she felt a small orgasm sweep over her, her thighs shaking around her own fingers pressed to her clit, as she moaned her pleasure. She was still gasping for air, her forehead pressed to the wood of the kitchen table when she heard the tear of a condom packet and then felt Jack’s hands on her arse, one pushing her fingers out of the way while the other spread her buttocks. 

She felt his cock nudge against her and then he was inside of her, her back arching, hips tilting, to accommodate his size, the stretch exquisite. They groaned in unison and Phryne reached the hand that had just been between her thighs back to grasp Jack’s ass, pulling him harder into her. 

Jack moaned at the feeling of her stretching around him, her inner muscles still pulsating from her orgasm and he had to exert every ounce of self-control to keep from coming right then and there. Seeing Phryne come apart at her own hand had undoubtedly been one of the most arousing things he had ever seen and he wondered if she would do it again for him.

Jack felt Phryne’s hand on his buttock, urging him further inside of her and he grabbed onto her waist with both hands, pulling her backwards at the same time as he pushed forward, going as deep as he possibly could. 

He knew immediately that there was no control left in him and he began thrusting his hips, pulling her back with every stroke, his orgasm building at the base of his spine in time with Phryne’s growing moans and yelps every time he bottomed out inside of her. 

Jack felt the sweat beading on his brow and felt his orgasm approach quickly. Wanting her to come again, he reached out to grab her arm, removing her hand from his arse and directing it between her thighs again, keeping his own hand on top of hers to feel her movements.

Phryne groaned in surprise but started circling her clit without hesitation, her walls clenching around Jack’s cock as she played with herself. Jack’s hips lost their rhythm, going faster now as he felt his spine begin to tingle. 

“I'm going to come, Phryne. Come with me, please, _come_ ," and Phryne gasped in surprise before Jack felt her tighten around him, her fingers moving faster until her thighs started to tense and she moaned. 

Jack couldn’t take it anymore, his hips rocketing forward into her as he came, his legs almost giving out underneath him as he felt Phryne’s rippling contractions around his cock, her thighs jumping against his where they were pressed together, her fingers strumming between her legs. 

Eventually her fingers calmed and Jack stroked his own fingers across the back of her hand as they came down together, panting heavily against each other. 

“Fuck. Me.” Jack muttered and Phryne giggled, gasping for air. 

“Jesus Phryne, that was… I don’t even have words.” Jack raised himself up when he was sure his legs would hold him, regretfully removing his hand from hers, instead sweeping his palms over her sides and buttocks before pulling out of her. 

“Hmmm,” Phryne hummed, exhausted, her elbows still leaning on the table. “You liked me touching myself, didn’t you?”

“I am definitely not opposed to seeing you do it again,” Jack confirmed breathlessly. 

“Gladly. Will I get to see you do it, too?” She turned her head slightly to look at him and Jack forced himself to look unfazed by the idea. “Um… sure.” 

He quickly decided that Phryne’s smile to his response was worth stepping out of his comfort zone for, and he shook his head with a smirk, dropping back into his chair.

“I should keep working,” Jack pointed out and Phryne pouted. 

“Alright. Shower first, though?” She suggested, pushing herself up from the table and turning to run a finger over his shoulder, shiny with sweat. 

“Phryne…” 

“Quick one, I promise,” she promised with a grin. Jack was helpless to do anything but follow her.

***

True to Phryne’s word, it was a relatively quick shower, though she still took the opportunity to thoroughly explore patches of his skin that she maintained she had never touched before. Jack smiled and let her touch, enjoying the attention and the feeling of her skin against his. 

He kissed her before getting out of the shower, leaving her to wash her hair while he got dressed. Jack had just pulled on his shirt when the doorbell rang. 

“That’ll be Mac,” Phryne shouted from the bathroom, the water still running, and Jack cursed underneath his breath. 

He liked Mac, that wasn’t the issue, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t find her a little intimidating from time to time. He remembered Phryne’s phone conversation from this morning and tried to ignore the way his face heated up at the thought of facing the her friend. The doorbell rang again and Jack took a deep breath, reminding himself that Mac was likely just as happy with the development between him and Phryne as his sister was, and opened the door.

“Fancy seeing you here.” Jack spoke, opting for humor to cover his embarrassment as he looked at the grinning woman in front of him, standing a respectable 6 feet away from the door. He desperately wished for Phryne to finish her shower already.

“Inspector! How’s it going?” Mac greeted him, sizing him up and down with a smirk as if something about his physical appearance would have changed by Phryne’s presence in his bed. 

Maybe it had, Jack reflected, unable to keep a smile from his face as he thought back to this morning, the utter bliss he had felt waking up next to Phryne, as well as all of their various activities all over the house. Had he stopped feeling happy at any point over the past couple of days? He didn’t think so. 

“Having a good time in quarantine, are we?” Mac continued with a rather rhetorical question and Jack realized he hadn’t responded.

“As you know.” That was a good answer, Jack thought. Short. 

“Hmmmm,” Mac grinned again. “Where’s Phryne? Incapacitated by all the fucking?”

Jack almost choked on air at Mac’s direct question, before collecting himself and sending her an admonishing glare. 

“Taking a shower.” He informed her, then paused, considering his next words before smirking. “Because of all the fucking.”

Mac laughed out loud at that and gave him an appreciative look, the tension broken. She turned around and grabbed a good-sized basket, covered by a napkin, from behind her, while Jack looked on curiously. Surely, she couldn’t have bought an entire basket worth of condoms… Mac pulled the napkin off, and the blush that Jack had been trying to keep at bay fought its way onto his cheeks.

He couldn’t see everything in the basket but from what he _did_ see, it looked like Mac had raided an entire pharmacy; piles of condoms and… lube? as well as several other bottles he couldn’t immediately identify filling the basket.

“Wha…” Jack croaked and cleared his throat. “I hope you didn’t go through any trouble on our account,” he stated dryly when he had found his voice again and Mac grinned. 

“No trouble at all. I wanted to make sure you were fully stocked for the next two weeks.” 

Jack was about to comment that the supplies of the basket could probably last a couple of months, but was saved from saying anything else by Phryne appearing behind him, sidling up to his side. She was dressed in her own clothes, he noted with a smile.

“Mac!” Phryne smiled as she greeted her best friend, looping her arm around Jack’s waist as her gaze dropped to the basket in the other woman’s hands.

“Oooh presents!” She grinned, her eyes lighting up and Jack snorted. “Many, _many,_ presents,” he remarked and Phryne smirked at him. 

“Mac knows me well,” she commented, throwing her friend a grateful look. 

Mac, for her part, was watching the scene in front of her with no small amount of astonishment, the way Phryne so casually hugged Jack’s waist, Jack’s arm flung around her in return, the way they looked at each other as if sharing some deep secret for a moment, before Jack dropped a kiss on Phryne’s hair and the couple faced Mac again.

She wasn’t really sure what she had expected their relationship to look like, but the level of intimacy caught her off guard. Had she ever seen Phryne like this? If she had, she couldn’t recall. Even during the first few weeks with René, when Phryne had been in love and there hadn't been no sign of René's manipulative and abusive behavior yet, she hadn’t looked like this. 

There was a pause as Mac considered all of this, the three of them looking at each other in silence and Jack took it as his cue to leave, squeezing Phryne’s side and nodding a thank you to Mac before disappearing back into the house. 

Phryne turned to watch him leave before facing her friend again, the look on Mac’s face now nothing short of incredulous. 

“What?” Phryne asked, blushing slightly at Mac’s baffled expression. 

“Nothing,” Mac grinned. “I just wasn’t expecting two love-sick teenagers to greet me at the door.”

“Oh, shut up,” Phryne rolled her eyes with a smile, the blush staying on her cheeks. “And stop looking at me like I just got down on one knee and proposed.”

Mac laughed. “Sorry, darling, but I never thought I’d get to see you like this. But trust me when I say that I could not be happier for you.” 

Phryne didn’t really knowing how to respond without sounding overly sappy, so she remained silent and Mac smiled, her eyes dropping to her friend’s neck. 

“Also a bit jealous, if I’m honest,” she said, gesturing to her neck and Phryne suddenly remembered the love bite gracing the side of her neck and smirked. 

“It’s been… an eventful couple of days.”

“I think that is the understatement of the year,” Mac chuckled, setting the basket down again and taking another step back, reminding Phryne of the unusual circumstances they were finding themselves in.

“It’s all a bit weird, isn’t it,” Mac said with a sigh, following her train of thought and Phryne nodded, leaning against the doorframe. 

“How are you holding up?” She asked and Mac shrugged. 

“The hospital’s shutting operations down to essential surgeries, etc., for who knows how long, since we don’t know what’s coming. It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.” 

“Is there anything I can do?” 

“Not really. Keep enjoying quarantine and I will live vicariously through you. Well, not with Jack, but you know what I mean,” Mac waved her hand through the air and Phryne smiled, wishing she could hug her friend. 

“I gotta run,” Mac said with a sigh. “Let me know if you need anything else.” 

“I'm pretty sure you we are all set now,” Phryne grinned. “Thank you again, really. And don't forget to send me the receipt.”

Mac smirked. "I'll try to remember. Talk soon!” She called over her shoulder on her way back to her car. 

***

Phryne kicked the door shut behind her, holding onto the rather heavy basket with both hands as she walked into the living room. 

“Tada!” she grinned, and Jack smiled, shaking his head at her enthusiasm. Though to be honest, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t just as enthusiastic about their new supply. He got up from the sofa and walked over to stand next to Phryne, curiously eyeing the items in the basket from up close now, picking up one of the bottles.

“Massage oil,” Jack read out loud. He wasn’t sure what exactly Mac had been thinking while shopping for them.

“Marvelous stuff,” Phryne hummed as she picked up a small bottle of lube. 

“Don’t think we’ll be needing this,” she commented, fluttering her eyelashes at Jack. “Unless…”

She trailed off and Jack looked at her for a moment before realizing her suggestion.

“Oh! Um… I… maybe another time. If… if you want to, that is. Or are you… You’re flustering me on purpose!” He accused Phryne with a blush and she smirked at him, setting the lube back down before turning her attention back to the other contents of the basket. 

“Mac really did think of everything, look at this one, it glows in the dark!” Phryne laughed, holding up one of the condoms and Jack shook his head with a grin.

The sheer variety of condoms in the basket was astounding. Various colors, textures, flavors. He thought back to the way Mac had grinned as she had revealed the basket to him and realized that she had had good reason to be satisfied with herself. He spotted regular condoms as well, though. Really, he would have loved to see the cashier's face when Mac had bought all of this. 

Jack let his gaze drift from the basket to Phryne’s face, glowing with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she went through the contents in front of her, her lips quirking whenever she discovered a new variety of condom in the basket. _God, he loved her._

“What do you say, Jack?” Phryne interrupted his thoughts, holding up a red condom, a teasing glint in her eyes.

“I don’t care about condom color,” he informed her, looping his arms around her waist to pull her closer, smiling when he felt her body melt into him. 

“No?” Phryne teased. “You know, if I had my drawer of lingerie here, we could color match the condoms. I have…. yes, I have something in every one of these colors.” She smiled.

Jack’s eyes darkened at her words, as he was now very much thinking about Phryne in lingerie. The prospect of her wearing it, for _him_ , was enticing. When it came down to it, Jack didn’t think he’d ever prefer anything over Phryne’s bare skin. He didn’t need the lace, the silk, the ruffles, when he could have _her_ , in all her natural glory. That didn't mean he wouldn't appreciate unwrapping her from whatever sexy combination of fabric she was wearing, however.

“I don’t care about condom color,” he reiterated with a growl, bending his head so he could kiss her, feeling Phryne grin into the kiss. “I look forward to seeing the lingerie, though.”

“You will,” Phryne promised, pressing her index finger to his bottom lip, lightly pulling it down while she bit at her own lip. 

“You know I’ve worn a few pieces for you before… you just didn’t notice.”

Jack felt himself get light-headed at her revelation. 

“You… you have?”

Phryne nodded. “I started… I don’t remember when, actually, but at some point. Whenever you’d come over for a nightcap I started wearing ensembles, just in case...” She shrugged, not quite able to hide the vulnerability she suddenly felt. “You never did find out.”

“I am a fucking idiot,” Jack realized and Phryne smirked at him. 

“But... now we have the chance to make up for lost time,” she commented, pushing herself more firmly against him, dangling the condom from her fingers. “Even if I don’t have the lingerie handy at the moment.”

Jack muttered something that sounded like “You’re killing me”, before jumping into action, taking the condom from her hand and hauling her up against him. Phryne’s laughter rang through the room, her breath hitching when she suddenly felt a wall against her back. 

“Oh yes,” she breathed, her hands fumbling with Jack’s belt as he pressed himself against her, pressing hot kisses along the line of her jaw and down her neck, his free hand at her buttock to pull her hips against his. 

“This was one of the things I dreamed about,” Phryne gasped when Jack’s mouth reached her breast, biting at her nipple through the fabric of her shirt. 

“Hm?” Jack hummed incoherently, the sound muffled by her breast. 

“You pushing me against a wall and fucking me.” Phryne’s hand wrapped around Jack’s cock and he groaned, though he wasn’t sure if her touch or her words aroused him more. 

“Hold this,” he ground out, handing the condom back to her while he worked on getting her clothes off, unbuttoning her shorts and letting them drop to the ground, growling upon the discovery that she wasn’t wearing underwear. 

“I figured we might be feeling _inspired_ after Mac stopped by,” Phryne smirked naughtily and Jack kissed her for lack of a better response, grasping the back of her head to keep her steady as he explored her mouth urgently until he felt her slump against him. 

“Again, you’re killing me,” he panted, as he pulled back, suspecting his lips were equally swollen and red as hers were. 

“But what a good way to go,” Phryne murmured, raising her arms so Jack could pull her shirt off. She watched him do the same, stepping out of her trousers, and then Jack was on her again. 

Phryne didn’t even notice him taking the condom back from her hand, too distracted by his lips on hers, but then he was lifting her, easily, and her legs wrapped around his waist on instinct. 

Jack supported her with both hands below her arse, groaning when the head of his cock brushed against her dripping folds. Phryne released one of her arms wrapped tight around Jack’s shoulders to reach in between them, positioning his cock at her opening, her forehead dropping onto his shoulder as he pushed forward. 

Phryne whimpered and Jack groaned, both of them relishing the feeling of being joined for a moment before Phryne rolled her hips as much as she could manage, prompting Jack to move. He held her up, his fingers digging into her buttocks as he thrust deep inside of her a few times, gravity dropping her down on him hard with each movement.

“Oh, yes,” Phryne moaned with each thrust, the pressure almost unbearable. She rolled her hips to press her clit against Jack’s pelvis to ease the ache inside of her, a tingling sensation shooting through her down to her toes, making her shudder. 

“So _fucking_ good, Phryne,” Jack groaned. “I’ve imagined this, too, you wrapped around me just like this.” He was surprised he could even manage a coherent sentence, chopped off as his words were as he moved in and out of her.

Phryne tightened around him and gasped, moving her head back to kiss him deeply, thrusting her tongue into his mouth along with his thrusts down below. She moaned louder, her body jolted by Jack’s thrusts as he sped up, the scent of her arousal rising up between them, pushing Jack closer to the edge. 

He squeezed his hands on her ass and felt her body tighten, growling as he felt his orgasm tingling at his spine. 

“Talk. Please. More.” Phryne groaned a weak command, her body clinging to his as her brain went foggy in anticipation of her climax.

Jack felt his thighs and arms burning but complied, lifting her up in time with her thrusts, dropping her down onto his cock with more force, driving him deep, _so deep_ , inside of her. 

“I… I dreamed of fucking you just like this, feeling you hot and wet for me.”

Phryne whimpered, rolling her hips into his again, causing Jack to see stars. 

“ _Yes,_ like that _._ I wanted this, I wanted your moans and whimpers in my ear, I wanted you to moan my name as you came apart around me.”

The last of his words were muffled in Phryne’s hair as she spasmed around him, burying his face in his neck as she let out a low scream of his name. The wild jerking of her body against his sent Jack flying over the edge as well and he groaned, pumping his hips against her.

“I’m... I’m gonna have to sit down,” he gasped out when they had both stopped shuddering and Phryne nodded weakly, clinging onto him with the last of her strength as Jack took a few staggering steps towards the sofa, groaning when he sat them down and his muscles were able to relax. 

“Hmmm, I love you,” Phryne sighed into his skin, her face still buried in his neck and Jack hugged his arms around her, pressing a kiss against her damp shoulder.

“I love you too.” 

They sat like that for a while, waiting for their breathing to calm down and the sweat on their bodies to cool. 

“I feel like showers are starting to become a moot point,” Jack chuckled eventually, feeling Phryne smile against him. 

“Nonsense, Jack. We have to get clean so we can get dirty again,” she explained, kissing his neck before raising herself up, lifting herself off of his lap. 

“Remind me to thank Mac again,” Jack muttered and Phryne chuckled, already on her way to the bathroom when Jack's phone started ringing again, both of their heads turning to look at Jack's buzzing trousers on the ground.

“ _Why_ are there so many calls today,” Jack groaned, watching as Phryne bent over and fished the phone out of the pocket. 

“It’s Maggie, she’s skyping you.” She informed him, laughing when she saw Jack’s eyes widen. 

“Shit, I told her we could chat around 4, is it that late already??” Jack exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. 

“We’ll just get dressed and call her back, no harm done,” Phryne reasoned, somewhat amused but also surprised by Jack’s panic.

“Phryne, look at us. Look at _you_. If _we_ don’t look like two people who have just had some fucking life-altering sex then I don’t know who does. Besides, if we call her back later, she’ll _know_ , it’s not like there’s anything else we could have been doing.” 

He was still frozen in place, naked and wide-eyed and Phryne tried to suppress the laughter threatening to burst forth, not quite managing. The phone, meanwhile, stopped ringing, doing nothing to ease the panic on Jack’s face.

“Jack, honestly. It’s not like we could have answered the call naked. We’ll just sort ourselves out and call her back in 10 minutes. We’ll say we were out in the garden or something and forgot the time.” 

“I _can’t_ have my older sister knowing I just had sex, Phryne.”

“It’s not like she doesn’t know what we’re doing here,” Phryne chuckled, stepping up to Jack. “Unless you have a different suggestion for how to proceed…” 

“No, no, your idea was good.” Jack grumbled, relaxing slightly. “But would you mind putting on a scarf or something to hide the mark?” He pleaded, gesturing to her neck, and Phryne's expression softened. She supposed these matters were different with a sibling of the opposite sex.

“Sure, but that still leaves yours uncovered,” she said innocently, her voice rising in pitch as her eyes dropped to the new dark red mark on Jack’s neck, his eyes widening as he realized what she was saying.

“Oh, I know, we could both put on scarves, that won’t look weird at all for the end of summer,” Phryne teased and Jack groaned in defeat, running a hand over his face, before perking up again. 

“Make-up! You have make-up with you, right?”

Phryne snorted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's get this fic done, yes?
> 
> There will be 5 more chapters (I have finally planned out were I want this to go, which might have been a good idea earlier, but oh well). 
> 
> Thank you so much for all your comments and support!!
> 
> P.S.: Yes, they will be using the massage oil from Mac's basket eventually 😏


	11. Chapter 11

To Phryne’s amusement, Jack had in fact insisted on putting concealer on their necks, the shade much too light for his skin tone but better than a bruise, he argued. Secretly, he prayed the connection would be bad enough so his sister wouldn’t be able to make out any details.

Redressed and somewhat put together, they were sat on his sofa a short time later, smiles on their faces when Maggie appeared on the screen of Jack’s phone, a toddler on her lap. Phryne greeted the woman and then observed quietly as Jack greeted the child, making all the appropriate noises adults usually made when talking to toddlers. 

“So… shall I ask how are you two doing?” Maggie asked with a grin and Phryne noticed Jack blush, his gaze drifting to Mac’s gift basket, which was still sitting on the ground next to the sofa.

“We’re wonderful,” Phryne saved him with a smile. “Going a little crazy from being cooped up in the house but there are worse things.”

“I bet you can come up with ways of entertainment,” Maggie winked and Jack coughed. 

“I suppose I should thank you for pushing Jack a bit,” Phryne said and Maggie shrugged. “What are older sisters for, if not to nudge their younger brothers toward happiness.” 

“Enough of that now,” Jack admonished his sister while Phryne grinned. “How are you and Robert?”

Phryne listened as they talked, observing Jack’s casual manner one could only have with someone they’d known their whole lives. She loved that he got along so well with his sister and laughed along with him as Maggie recounted how the toddler had somehow managed to cover the family dog in peanut butter.

“Have you talked to mom and dad yet?” Maggie eventually asked and Jack shook his head, looking slightly uncomfortable. Phryne realized that she didn’t know all that much about his parents, other than that he had a good relationship with them. 

“Only to check in with them. You know how mom is, she’ll get offended that I haven’t mentioned Phryne before and then she’ll jump straight into planning our future.” 

Maggie laughed. “Well that’s Ma for you. But she’ll love you, Phryne, I can guarantee that,” the other woman assured her and Phryne smiled, wondering what her and Jack’s ‘future’ entailed, in his mother’s mind.

They chatted for a bit longer before the toddler started to get cranky and they eventually hung up, agreeing to talk again soon.

“You haven’t told your parents I’m staying with you? Even _my_ mom knows that,” Phryne teased as Jack set his phone aside.

“Yes, well, she only knows because she’s staying at your apartment,” Jack grumbled. “I know that my parents will make a fuss about me seeing someone again so I have just been… delaying that particular call.”

“Hmmm. I don’t mind, you know.” Phryne stated, and Jack looked at her questioningly.

“Them knowing about us… this. I’ll admit the concept of loving and supportive parents is a bit foreign to me but I’m sure I can come around to the idea,” she smiled. She’d be lying if she wasn’t slightly nervous about the whole idea of meeting parents, but as part of Jack’s life she knew she wanted to get to know them. Had he inherited his fastidious and quiet nature from his mother or his father? Phryne looked forward to finding out. 

Jack smiled widely and squeezed her hand, silently thanking her. 

“Maggie’s right, you know. My mom will adore you.” 

“And your dad?”

“He normally doesn’t say all that much, but I’d imagine he’ll shake his head and question how I ended up with someone so clearly out of my league.” Jack teased.

“Jack Robinson, you take that back,” Phryne said earnestly, sitting up on her knees as she stared him down. 

“Well, you are, if we’re going by the way ‘leagues’ are normally defined,” Jack replied, surprised by her vehement reaction. 

“Jack, you’re not serious?” Phryne was growing increasingly concerned that Jack actually considered her to be out of his league, while she had always seen them as equals.

“First of all, I think the concept of 'leagues' is ridiculous.” Jack stated. “And while I’ll admit that at first I didn’t think I’d ever have a shot with you, or that we were really compatible, those notions changed once I got to know you. Obviously,” he added, reaching out for her hand once more and drawing it into his lap, stroking his thumbs across the back of it.

“But you can see how from an outside perspective our partnership might seem weird,” he continued when Phryne didn’t say anything. “You’re beautiful, and vibrant, and… well, rich.”

“Jack! You know I don’t give a fig about the money.” Phryne exclaimed, lightly slapping him on the shoulder when he grinned, indicating he was teasing.

“Of course I know that. And neither do I.” He placated her. “The point is, you could have anyone you wanted.” 

“Well, I want you,” Phryne said seriously, still slightly unsettled by the idea that he might consider himself unworthy of her affection. “You beautiful, ridiculous, _exasperating_ , man.”

“And that makes me the luckiest guy on the planet,” Jack spoke with a twinkle in his eye, lightly tugging on Phryne’s hand until she moved into his lap. 

“Not lucky.” She argued. “You make it sound like coincidence, or an act of charity. And it’s not. I am just as lucky to have you.”

“Alright, then we’re both lucky. ‘The luckiest couple on the planet’,” Jack grinned, trailing his hand through the air as if he was spreading out a banner with that title on it.

“Oh, shut up,” Phryne laughed, kissing him softly.

“We’re good?” Jack mumbled when they parted, wanting to make sure there were no doubts left in her mind as to his opinions of their relationship.

“Yes. But don’t ever talk of ‘leagues’ again,” Phryne urged him, her fingers on his neck sending pleasant shivers down Jack’s spine. 

“Promise.” 

The next time their lips parted, both of them were breathing slightly heavier, Phryne’s fingers swirling in the short hairs on the back of his neck in tandem with Jack’s fingers on her waist.

“So… what are your plans until dinner?” she smiled as she pushed herself closer, Jack’s hands on her tightening on instinct.

“I should finish up some work,” he sighed, kissing the wrinkle that had formed between her eyebrows. “And we should figure out groceries for the next few days.”

“Hmmm, can’t we just keep ordering take-out?” Phryne suggested, though only half-seriously. She appreciated a home-cooked meal just as much as he did, as long as she wasn’t the one having to cook it. 

“I was thinking some fresh produce would be nice,” Jack chuckled. “And in fact, I read somewhere that you can order groceries online, I was thinking that we could give that a shot.”

“Sure,” Phryne shrugged. “I can look into finding something,” she suggested, kissing him again before slipping off of his lap with a regretful look on her face to leave him to his work. Jack smiled, silently wondering what her version of shopping for groceries would look like.

***

Phryne rejoined him in the living room about an hour later, just as he was finishing up the case file he was currently working on. 

“So…” she started as she settled herself next to him again. “There are several places offering grocery delivery, some of them are actually doing box deliveries where you don’t exactly know what you’re getting. I thought that might be fun.” 

Jack tilted his head as he considered this. “What kind of boxes do they have?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Phryne grinned. “There’s a fridge essentials box with milk and eggs, and bacon… I was thinking we should get that one.”

“And vegetables?”

“They have those boxes too…” 

“What’s the matter?” Jack laughed at the sceptical look on Phryne’s face. 

“Nothing, there’s just a lot of raw stuff in there.” She said, pulling a face.

“And then through the magic act of cooking they get transformed into delicious meals,” Jack said with such fake condescendence that Phryne snorted. 

“You think you’re so clever,” she teased and Jack grinned. 

“We’ll just get both,” Phryne acquiesced. “And maybe you can even show me how to cook with the ingredients.”

Jack stared at her, slack-jawed. “Quarantine is finally getting to you, huh?”

Phryne shot him a look that could kill. “I like to hone all kinds of skills, Jack,” she informed him and Jack nodded seriously. 

“Alright, what the lady wishes, the lady gets. Which, apparently, is cooking classes,” he teased. 

“I said _maybe_!” Phryne reminded him. “But how about take-out for tonight? On me.” She waved her hand graciously.” Since you’re allowing me to intrude on your home.”

Jack rolled his eyes, knowing she was baiting him into complimenting her but seeing no point in denying her the satisfaction.

“You know very well you’re not intruding,” he smiled, leaning over to kiss her. Phryne hummed in satisfaction at his answer, opening her mouth to let his tongue slip inside, her hand cupping his cheek. 

“But I will let you pay for the food,” he mumbled into her mouth and felt her grin.

***

One quick call to Phryne’s favorite Thai place later, and her attention was focused on Jack again, her hand stroking it’s way down his abs until she reached his belt buckle. 

“We have 40 minutes,” she informed him, her fingertips dipping underneath the edge of his trousers, stroking across the top of his pubic bone. 

“Phryne… I wanted to finish some work,” Jack groaned, though his hands were already reaching for her, and he swallowed the triumphant noise she made when he cupped her breast. 

“You can work on _me_ ,” she murmured cheekily before standing up to undress. Jack shook his head with a smile as he unbuckled his belt, his body already yearning for her touch again.

“Which kind of condom would you like?” Phryne asked with a grin as she pulled her camisole over her head, leaving her nude before him. 

“Surprise me,” Jack chuckled and watched as she dug around in the gift basket without looking, smiling when she saw what she had picked. 

“Green with studs,” Phryne smirked as she prowled back over to him, gracefully settling herself in his lap as Jack’s arms wound around her waist.

She rode him slowly, clenching and tightening her muscles around him in favor of heavy thrusts, the intimate massage of his cock drawing desperate groans from Jack’s chest. He wasn’t sure if the condom actually enhanced anything, reminding him once again how little anything but the woman currently on top and around of him mattered. _She is everything_ , he thought, not for the first time, and Phryne moaned when she saw the utter adoration for her in his eyes, knowing that she felt the same.

They reached their climax simultaneously, Jack’s hands tightening almost painfully on Phryne’s hips while her own fingers were tugging hard on his hair as they shuddered against each other, foreheads pressed together, whispered words of praise filling the air around them as they got lost in each other.

***

“Are you just going to steal all of my shirts?” Jack chuckled afterwards, his limbs lax as he watched Phryne pull on his discarded piece of clothing.

“Oh, definitely. They’re comfortable _and_ they give you easy access,” Phryne teased, raising the hem so her bare buttocks peeked out and Jack laughed, the sight of her arse not failing to affect him. 

“In that case, far be it from me to stop your thefts,” he grinned, getting up to pull his trousers back on, putting their discarded clothing on a heap in an attempt at tidiness while Phryne headed to the bathroom.

Phryne had just returned, a few minutes later, when the doorbell rang and her face lit up. 

“Food!” she exclaimed happily, sauntering over to the door, not particularly caring about her state of dress, while Jack went ahead to the kitchen.

Phryne swung open the front door enthusiastically, only to freeze in her movements, her hand gripping the door handle, suddenly very much aware that she was only wearing a large t-shirt.

Two startled pairs of eyes were looking back at her, looking remarkably like those of the elderly couple in the picture above Jack’s fireplace.

  
  


***

Phryne swallowed before straightening her back, putting a friendly smile on her face. She had long ago learned to cover her embarrassment, though that didn’t stop her hand from flying to her neck to to cover the bruise she knew was visible even with the concealer they had applied.

“Good evening.”

“Good evening,” Jack’s mother responded after her initial shock, a curious smile finding its way onto her face as she scanned the woman in front of her, wearing what seemed to be only her son’s shirt.

“Um. Is… is Jack home?”

“Yes, uh, just a moment,” Phryne smiled, her hand still on her neck, before turning and hurrying down the hall to the kitchen. Jack was just setting the table and looked at her curiously when he saw that she didn’t have any food with her. 

“Your parents,” Phryne hissed, her eyes almost comically wide, and Jack looked at her, confused. 

“What about them?”

“Your parents. Are here.” Phryne reiterated in a hushed voice, now trying to suppress an inappropriate giggle that threatened to burst forth.

Jack’s face froze, his eyes widening as they scanned over Phryne while his mind tried to process her information. 

“What?! Did they… see you?!”

“See me? I opened the door to them. I’m not sure they appreciated my current state of undress.”

“Oh GOD. Wait, they’re still here??” Jack’s brain finally caught up. Phryne nodded, unable to speak as she felt the laughter inside of her steadily building. 

“I don’t… _fuck_. Okay, give me the shirt,” he gestured wildly to her shirt, keeping his voice low. 

“I am naked underneath this,” Phryne reminded him with a chuckle and Jack cursed again before jogging down the hallway to his bedroom, coming back a few moments later with a new shirt on. He stuck his head around the door frame to see Phryne looking slightly unsure of herself where she stood in the middle of the room. 

“Would you like to meet them, officially?” Jack suggested.

“Now?”

“Well, yes. I mean, after you put some clothes on, preferably.” 

“I’d like that.”

Phryne looked relieved and Jack smiled at her, trying to appear a lot calmer than he felt. He nodded at her and then turned, walking to the front door with no small amount of trepidation.

His parent’s expressions were worth taking a picture of, he thought, as he stepped up to the doormat. His dad looked equal amounts shocked and proud while his mother just looked happy… if slightly offended. There was a picnic basket on the ground between them.

“There’s a woman in your house, Jack,” his mother started, bemused and not bothering to hide her surprise. 

“Um… yes, yes there is.”

“ _I_ thought you were self-isolating.”

“Yes, well, Phryne actually… she was there when the arrest happened and also came into contact with the suspect,” Jack explained, though his answer only seemed to intrigue his mother further, especially since it didn’t explain why Phryne was now in his house, wearing his t-shirt.

“Phryne is… a work colleague?”

“Not exactly…. look, do we have to talk about this now? What are you two doing here, anyway?” _Unannounced,_ he added in his brain.

“I’m just surprised, Jackie. You’ve never mentioned her before, how long have you been seeing her?” His mother’s tone was almost accusatory now while she ignored his question.

“It’s complicated… we’ve been friends for a while and… I was going to tell you, soon, I promise, Ma.” Jack said apologetically, though his parent’s attention was captured by something, or rather someone, behind him. 

“My apologies for the awkward introduction before. Phryne Fisher,” Phryne greeted his parents cheerily as she stepped up next to Jack. She was fully dressed, much to Jack’s relief, his gaze flitting nervously between her and his parents.

“Wonderful to meet you, Phryne,” Jack’s mother said, now allowing herself closer scrutiny of the woman so casually holding onto her son’s arm. 

“Uh yes, Phryne, these are my parents, Carol and John.” Jack jumped in and greetings were exchanged once more.

What followed, was an awkward silence, made even more awkward by the 10 feet of distance between the two parties. 

“So… why are you two here again?” Jack asked as politely as possible and it seemed to jolt his mother out of her daydreams about his relationship.

“Hm? Oh, yes! We brought you food, I cooked a casserole and some gratin and I made a cake.” She paused, casting a look at Phryne again. “We obviously didn’t anticipate you having… company, so there may not be enough for the two of you,” she added apologetically.

“I’m sure we’ll make do,” Jack reassured his mother, looking over at Phryne who was smiling, obviously pleasantly surprised. “And thank you Mum, though really, you know you don’t have to cook for me.”

“Of course, but I wanted to.” Carol replied seriously while John just shook his head behind his wife, obviously slightly exasperated by her worry for her son. 

“You haven’t been eating enough these past few weeks, you need some energy.” The comment was so motherly that it made Jack blush, and he felt Phryne’s grip on his arm tighten reassuringly.

“And we got to meet Phryne, this way!” his mother exclaimed happily, Jack’s dad nodding his head in agreement.

“Yes, thank goodness for that… when this is all over maybe we can have a dinner and chat more,” Jack said, subtly wanting the conversation to end, his embarrassment about the situation slowly making itself known. 

“We could have a barbecue at the house,” his father suggested, looking at Phryne for her opinion.

“That sounds like a lovely idea.” Phryne smiled, before looking at Jack’s mother again. “And thank you for the food, truly. I agree that Jack has to eat a bit more.” She grinned, poking a finger into his ribs and Jack glared at her.

Jack’s mother seemed pleased by the interaction, smiling broadly as another silence descended around them. John eventually cleared his throat, tugging on his wife’s arm. 

“Darling, we should be heading home if we want to swing by the shops on the way,” he said with a conspiratorial smirk in Jack’s direction, sending a flush onto his cheeks. “We have masks, don’t worry,” John added with a smile when he saw the look of concern on his son’s face.

“Yes, alright. We only wanted to stop by quickly anyway,” Carol sighed, now clearly wishing she could stay longer to find out anything and everything there was to know about Phryne.

“It was lovely meeting you,” Phryne reiterated with a smile that both of Jack’s parents returned. 

“You too, I’m sure we’ll see more of each other, now that we know you exist” Jack’s mother commented, smiling at her before sending Jack an accusatory look.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Jack promised, softening his mother’s gaze. 

“Alright, you two have a nice night then,” John intervened again as he all but pulled Carol with him back to the street.

“You too, and thank you for the food Ma,” Jack shouted after them, while Phryne waved goodbye. 

As his parents got into their car and drove away, Jack glanced over at Phryne with a helpless look, while Phryne pressed her lips together so as not to burst out laughing. Jack shook his head and grinned, then went to grab the picnic basket his mother had left on the ground before returning into the house, stopping right inside the door while Phryne shut it. 

They looked at each other for only a second before Phryne started laughing, the throaty, honest, laugh of hers that Jack loved so much and within seconds he felt laughter bubbling up from deep inside his chest as well. He almost dropped the basket as they laughed until they were almost doubled over, their eyes teary. 

“Who would’ve thought that you get to officially meet my entire family within a couple of hours,” Jack finally said when he could breathe again, his abs smarting from the laughter and Phryne straightened with great difficulty as she caught her breath. 

“I certainly didn’t expect it,” she admitted, breathing heavily. “But everyone seems very nice.”

“And they all love you, as expected” Jack added, which brought a smile to Phryne’s face. 

“Good! I…” she was interrupted by the doorbell ringing again and almost started laughing again. 

“I suspect that _that_ will be our take-out,” she grinned and Jack smirked.

***

All it had taken was one sly comment from Phryne, after dinner, about their afternoon love-making session in the kitchen, and Jack had more or less thrown her over his shoulder and carried her off to the bedroom, grabbing Mac’s gift basket on the way.

Phryne was fire in his arms, burning him from below as they kissed with an increasing urgency clawing at each other’s clothes on the bed. She had had a point about easy access, Jack realized, when he had finally gotten her shorts off, standing up to unbutton his own trousers. He made a mental note that they should really just stay close to naked the next few days when no familial interruptions were expected. 

“Mhmm, Jack, slow,” Phryne moaned from the bed, her lips and cheeks flushed as she unabashedly reclined on the pillows, one of her hands coming up to cup her breast, tugging on her nipple as she eyed him, suggestively flicking her eyes down to his crotch. 

Jack swallowed thickly as he realized what she wanted to see and he reminded himself of how happy she had seemed this afternoon when he had agreed to her idea of mutual… pleasuring. The look in her eyes now, wild and hungry, finally pushed him to make his decision as he slid one hand down the front of his trousers, gripping himself strongly. 

Phryne whimpered, the hand on her breast pulling and squeezing harder, her thighs pressed tightly together. Jack held her eyes as he dropped his trousers and underwear, stepping out of them slowly, his cock bobbing in front of his body, drawing Phryne’s gaze. 

Jack took another deep breath and stepped close to the bed, reaching out to push on Phryne’s leg, urging her to open her legs. She moaned and complied, letting her thighs part, the evident moisture on her folds calling to Jack and he grit his teeth to resist the urge to dive between her legs and taste her. 

"Please,” Phryne murmured and Jack straightened reluctantly, before sliding one hand around his cock. It felt strange to perform such a familiar and personal act with an audience, though Jack would have been lying if he said that Phryne’s pure look of desire and her hands on her own body didn’t enhance the experience.

He slid his palm up and down his length once, drawing another groan from Phryne, before raising his hand to his mouth to wet it, its path interrupted by Phryne, who dipped her hand between her thighs to coat it in her moisture before reaching over and wrapping her fingers around his cock, coating him in her essence. 

Jack’s knees buckled and he growled, making to move towards her but Phryne stopped him with a hand on his stomach. 

“Please Jack, keep going.” _How could he resist that?_

Jack took himself in hand again, more firmly this time, and started sliding his hand up and down his length, running his thumb over his crown with each pass, his finger sliding smoothly, with Phryne’s lubrication. 

Phryne bit her bottom lip, squeezing her breasts with both hands now, her gaze transfixed on the movements of his hand. When Jack moved his other hand down to cup his balls, she moaned, sliding one of her own hands down her body to travel back between her thighs, spreading the moisture she found there, her fingers dipping just slightly inside of her before retreating again to circle around her clit. 

Jack watched her back arch and growled, wanting it to be _his_ fingers on her, while at the same time not wanting to miss out on a moment of her touching herself. The same familiarity he had found strange when he touched himself was now what he appreciated as he was watching Phryne. The surety with which she touched herself, knowing exactly where to circle, to pinch, to bear down harder, in order to bring her the most pleasure. Jack wanted to explore her, learn all those little spots and secrets that her body held, wanted her to do the same with him. 

He focused his touch on the head of his cock, twisting his wrist as his fingers swirled around his sensitive flesh, watching as Phryne’s breath’s grew heavier and heavier, and Jack went back to stroking himself more firmly, increasingly getting lost in the moment, all shyness or hesitance he might have felt in the beginning gone. He thought he could almost smell her, though if it was from his cock or directly from the source, on the bed, he didn’t know. His hand on his balls squeezed on instinct and Jack groaned, his hips rocketing forward into his own touch.

Phryne whimpered low in her chest at the sight, her own hips bucking against her fingers before she pulled them away and brought her hand up to her mouth, wanting to have something _inside_. Jack watched in awe as she sucked her fingers clean of her own arousal, tongue swirling around her digits, and then his restraint broke. 

He was on her in a flash, grabbing her hands to press them into the mattress above her head while he brought his lips down on hers, hungrily eating at her until she whimpered into his mouth. He thought he could taste her own arousal on her tongue and the thought was almost enough to push him over the edge but he held back, laughing desperately when Phryne raised her hips up to push against him. 

“I am literally going insane, looking at you, touching you, tasting you,” Jack whispered into her ear and Phryne shivered, flexing her hands against his hold out of her desire to touch him. 

“I’m so glad,” she quipped breathlessly, winding her leg around Jack’s thigh to pull him closer until he was nudging against her entrance. She moaned in disappointment when he pulled his hips back again, her eyebrow quirking in curiosity when he released one of her hands. Jack might not have had enough self-restraint to let her finish before, but that didn’t mean he wanted to miss out on the experience entirely.

“I want to see you come,” he murmured darkly and Phryne thought she might well climax right then and there as she realized what he wanted from her.

“How?” She asked, her hand already running down the flat of her stomach and it was Jack’s turn to swallow. 

“Touch yourself again, slide two fingers inside…” He felt Phryne’s hips twitch as she complied, gripping her bottom lip between her teeth. Jack’s exhale was harsh on her cheek, his cock throbbing against her thigh. 

“Like that, in and out, slowly. Keep your eyes open,” he begged as Phryne’s eyelids grew heavy. She smirked at him but opened her eyes again, looking at him with a look of challenge, prompting him to continue. 

“Curl your fingers,” he instructed and she did, rolling her hips against her hand as she felt the increased pressure inside of her. 

“Jack,” she moaned, becoming increasingly desperate for release but needing more. She knew she could just move her hand and take care of herself, quickly and efficiently, but she was too curious to see his next move. 

“Touch your clit… ”Phryne slid her fingers from her channel and set a quick pace on the small nub.

"Slower," Jack requested, his eyes on hers to make sure he didn't overstep. Phryne scowled at him before slowing her movements. If he wanted to have this moment, he could. She was already plotting how to torture him back in equally sweet ways. 

Phryne felt the pressure inside of her building, her inner muscles clenching around nothing while her slow caresses carried her higher… but not high enough. Jack saw the tension on her face increase, rolling his own hips against the mattress to relieve some of the ache, his hand, that was still pinning hers to the mattress, flexing and releasing. 

“Faster.” 

Phryne moaned as her hand sped up slightly, her hips straining to reach completion, but she felt the aching hollow inside of her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to touch me?” Phryne asked, panting, her chest flushed and arching to brush her aching nipples against his chest.

 _I always want to touch you,_ Jack thought. 

“How?” He asked, instead and Phryne smiled. 

“Your fingers… inside… ohhh,” she last word left her on a moan when she felt two thick fingers breach her. Jack had decided he was done playing, curling his fingers up immediately to search the spot that would send her over the edge.

His desperation matched her own as they worked her to climax together, his fingers inside of her, sliding deep and pressing against her walls while Phryne’s fingers circled her clit, faster and faster, her hips moving and twisting against their hands.Her climax, when it came, was vicious, pulling her under like a wave in a storm and sending her tumbling, only held steady by Jack’s hand anchoring her to the mattress and his voice, calm in her ear.

Phryne felt Jack’s breathing against the side of her face, felt him press soft kisses against her temple while he released her hand above her hand. Phryne laughed breathlessly, bringing her newly freed hand down to tunnel into his hair, tugging gently on the soft strands.

“Alright?” Jack murmured and Phryne turned her head, capturing his lips with hers. Soon, Jack felt as if he was the one drowning, steadied by Phryne’s hands on his shoulder, in his hair, pushing him backwards until he was flat on his back. 

Jack tore his mouth away from hers with a gasp when he felt her hand on his cock, her fingertips gliding along his length with a featherlight touch. He arched into her touch with a moan and Phryne chuckled, kissing his jaw. 

“Patience, Jack.” She hummed, before removing her hand, trailing it up his torso to pinch his nipple before her fingers encircled his wrist, dragging his arm up over his head, before shifting her body so she could do the same to his other arm. 

“I need both hands for what I have in mind,” she murmured. “But I trust you can keep your hands up.”

Jack rasped out a laugh, straining his neck to kiss her again before he relaxed back into the pillows, curious to see what she would do. He was aching for release; witnessing and aiding in Phryne’s having brought him close already, but he was willing to play her, _their,_ game.

Phryne moved slightly down his body, trailing just her index finger along Jack’s cock, smiling when it twitched towards her. 

“You have a beautiful cock, Jack,” she commented and Jack chuckled, though he couldn’t help but blush a little at the compliment. He wasn’t conceited enough to think that his penis was anything but ordinary, but it felt nice that Phryne seemed to appreciate it beyond the physical pleasure it brought her. 

He almost reached out to wrap his hand around her waist, wanting to feel her skin, but caught himself at the last second, though Phryne caught the twitch of his wrist. 

“Hmm, well done,” she praised him, dipping her hand between her legs once more, before wrapping her fingers firmly around his shaft. Jack groaned in relief, moving his hips almost immediately, his hands clenching into fists on the pillow. 

Phryne started stroking him torturingly slow, a mirror action to what he had done to her, Jack suddenly realized, and it sent a flash of heat through him. Had she begged him to go faster, earlier? He honestly couldn’t recall. 

“Please,” he tried, and Phryne grinned. Whether or not she had begged or not, his plea seemed to be the right move, as her grip tightened and she sped up, swirling her thumb across his crown whenever she reached his tip, just as she had seen him do to himself earlier.

Jack groaned, the sound almost turning into a whimper when her other hand travelled down to his balls, lightly squeezing them. Jack was fighting to keep his eyes open, wanting to _see,_ but it was becoming increasingly difficult to hold his head up, his cock almost throbbing now.

Phryne’s fingers slipped even lower, pushing against the small strip of skin right behind his balls and Jack’s hips launched forward, pushed back down by her hand as she smirked. 

“Are you close?” She asked, and Jack noticed that she had started pressing her thighs together again. 

“Hnngh, yes. _Yes_.” He panted and Phryne added a twist to each stroke of his cock that catapulted him to the edge almost immediately, relentlessly stroking the soft skin behind his balls.

“Come for me.” Her whispered words sent him flying over the edge, lost in a cloud of sensation and bliss as he pumped himself onto his stomach. Phryne slowed her stroking until she was once again trailing her fingertips just lightly over his softening cock. 

“Can I use my hands again?” Jack panted out, almost rhetorically, when he could see clearly again and Phryne nodded, squealing when his hands were wrapped around her almost immediately, pulling her up so he could kiss her thoroughly and urgently, sucking her tongue into his mouth.

Jack moaned when Phryne sucked at his tongue in return, one of his hands traveling down her back and over her arse until he reached the dripping flesh between her thighs again. Phryne gasped in surprise but ground herself back against him all the same as she felt her arousal soar back up, smiling when Jack pulled her up even further until her pelvis hovered right above his mouth, and he directed her hands to hold onto the headboard.

Phryne moaned at the first touch of Jack’s tongue against her heated flesh, trying to keep herself raised up as not to smother him, but she felt her thighs shaking in no time as Jack fucked her with his tongue, lapping at her and suckling at her clitoris every few strokes. His hands moved to her ass to hold her up, his tongue moving faster, more focused, digging into a spot beside her clit that made her see stars _(how did he know?)_ and all too soon, Phryne felt herself begin to tremble, her back arching as she braced for impact.

Jack’s moan into her flesh was her unravelling as her hips bucked forward, her entire body curling in on itself as she shuddered, one of her hands flying down to grip Jack’s hair as wave and wave of pleasure coursed through her, tingling all the way into her toes. Jack kept moving his tongue until Phryne couldn't take it anymore, pushing herself off of him with quivering muscles, her hips twitching from the aftershocks while Jack pressed soft kisses along the inside of her thighs, lightly biting down on the tendon he found there.

When she had caught her breath sufficiently, Phryne slid off to Jack's side, letting him tug her down into his arms as she sought out his mouth again.

She felt exhaustion settle over her like a weighted blanket, smothering her and making her limbs grow fuzzy and heavy, and Phryne fought to keep her eyes open as their breathing slowed, not quite succeeding, which brought a smile to Jack’s face. 

“It’s alright, sleep,” he whispered, pressing a kiss against her cheek. Jack gently extricated himself from her arms, his muscles aching. 

“I’ll be right back, I just have to clean myself up."

In no time at all, he was back by her side, half underneath her where she thrown her arm over him, letting himself get lulled to sleep by her warmth and steady breathing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the family in this chapter, apparently 😂 Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> P.S.: Credit for the grocery idea goes to Polly. Thank you!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how one small thing (or really, several small things (people, conversations, you name it) can just make you feel really demotivated about writing and slightly insecure but also extremely angry? Anyway, I think I'm over it now. 
> 
> A teensy bit of angst followed by a full on dose of fluff, etc. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy and are all doing well! 💕 (imma just also insert hugs here for all the Americans, especially 🤗)

Jack awoke with a start, his body covered in cold sweat, his heart feeling as if it was beating out of his chest. He took in the familiar setting of his bedroom, and turned his head to see Phryne looking equally as startled as he felt, her hand on his shoulder and a look of concern in her eyes.

 _Phryne._

_He could see her in the distance in the water, her arms flailing and mouth open as she was pulled under by an unseen force, leaving her almost no room or time to breathe. He was in the water as well, swimming and swimming, making seemingly no progress, watching Phryne drown from afar. Her eyes met his, the terror in them unmatched to anything he’d seen from her before. Her hand was reaching out for him, pleading with him to save her, to not let her die. And then she was gone, dragged under the dark surface. He’d lost her. Forever._

“You’re safe,” Phryne's gentle voice from the real world registered in his mind. Grounding him. Jack closed his eyes, drawing in a ragged breath, feeling her touch on his skin. She was alive. The relief he felt mixed with another emotion. Anger?

More like fear, Jack realized. He had feared for her safety, her life, more times than he could count in the past and now… now he couldn't imagine life without her by his side, the fear of losing her almost immobilizing, compressing his chest, threatening to suffocate him.

“Nightmare?” Phryne asked softly and Jack realized he hadn’t really acknowledged her. None of this was her fault. He nodded and reached out his hand, clammy like the rest of him, to rest on her leg. He could hear Phryne’s sigh of relief at his initiation of physical contact and he breathed deeply, trying to calm his racing heart, feeling Phryne lie back down next to him, her head resting against his shoulder. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

Jack shook his head, and Phryne fell silent, drawing small circles on his arm with her fingers, never breaking contact. After a while, Jack could tell she had fallen back asleep, her hand seizing its movements and her breaths growing deeper, warm gusts of wind against his skin.

He had no idea what time it was, or much time passed, as he lay there, unable to go back to sleep, the image of Phryne being torn away from him, the panic in her eyes, burnt into his brain. 

Jack was still awake when the sun started to rise, the sky slowly turning red as the birds outside of the window started chirping. His chest was still tight, his body feeling as if he was about to implode as his mind replayed his nightmare over and over. 

He turned his head to see Phryne still fast asleep, her forehead resting against his bicep, her hand curled around his arm. He clenched his jaw and grit his teeth before sliding out of bed, careful not to wake her.

***

Phryne woke to sunlight streaming through the window and warming her face. She smiled, her eyes still shut, and stretched, before blinking her eyes open. Her face dropped a little as she saw that the space next to her was empty. 

She sat up groggily, noticing that Jack's phone was gone from his nightstand, something that was unusual if he intended to return back to bed. Then she remembered the night and Jack’s nightmare and her brow creased, as she suddenly felt worried. She didn’t know what he had dreamt about, but it had obviously rattled him. 

Phryne quickly got out of bed, pulling on Jack’s robe from the back of the bedroom door before she went looking for him. He was nowhere to be found. 

After checking the garden shed for the second time and coming up empty, Phryne became genuinely worried. Jack must have left the house, which he would only do if there was something serious going on with him.

It was fine. He was fine, he was an adult after all. _Deep breaths._

Phryne realized that she hadn’t checked her phone to see if Jack had texted her and walked back to the bedroom as calmly as she could manage, her eyes immediately spotting a note on her nightstand she had overlooked before, not thinking to look for one. She grabbed it quickly, her eyes darting over the small piece of paper. 

_Had to get out of the house. Back by 9._

Phryne felt her heart sinking and dropped down onto the bed, feeling anxiety bloom in her chest. She didn’t like this feeling and she liked not knowing what kind of mood Jack was in even less. 

They’d just have to talk, she told herself and stood up, cinching the robe tighter around her waist before heading to the kitchen. 

***

Jack felt his breath laboring in his lungs as he raced through empty streets on his bike, thankful that it was the weekend and people were only slowly starting their days. His thighs and calves burned, his legs moving on auto-pilot, his mind blissfully clear as he got back to familiar neighbourhoods, knowing that he’d be home soon. 

Jack turned onto his street, slowing down slightly as he reached his driveway, rolling up to his garden fence slowly before dismounting the bike. He’d have to explain everything to Phryne, Jack realized, suddenly feeling the exhaustion settle into his body, a mix of hunger and fatigue and wariness.

He wondered if she was awake by now, hoping that she’d found his, admittedly brief, note, if she was. He also hoped she wouldn't be upset with him.

Jack sighed. Talking to Phryne was inevitable. He unclasped his helmet and ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. After putting his bike away he braced himself, before heading back into the house, immediately stumbling upon Phryne, who was standing by the stove. 

Was she… cooking?

While Jack was still trying to figure out if there was something he was missing about the situation, Phryne turned around, her eyes immediately checking him over for injury, at least that’s what Jack assumed she was doing. Apparently satisfied with her assessment, Phryne finally raised her eyes to his, obviously looking for an explanation, though she didn’t look upset, to Jack’s relief, just curious.

“Hi.”

“Erm... good morning,” Jack started, before his attention was drawn to the thin line of smoke starting to rise behind Phryne.

“The pan!” He warned and Phryne whirled back around with wide eyes, quickly taking the pan off the flame before turning back to him with a sheepish look. 

“Sorry.”

They were silent for a moment, unspoken questions hanging between them. 

“I missed you this morning,” Phryne eventually said, watching him closely.

“Yes, sorry about that.” Jack apologized sincerely. “I… had some things to work through. Did you see my note?” 

“I did,” Phryne replied simply. She wasn’t planning on telling Jack how panicked she had felt before she had found the note, though.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Phryne asked when he remained silent.

“Let’s sit down?” Jack suggested and Phryne nodded, surreptitiously wiping her fingers on her… _his_ robe, as Jack just now noticed, a worried look in her eyes.

Whatever conclusion Jack had come to during his excursion, Phryne hoped it didn’t involve distance from her. She'd argue with him if it did.

“I…” Jack stopped, speaking his dream out loud more difficult than he thought it would be. “In my dream, you... I lost you.”

“Oh, Jack,” Phryne spoke softly as understanding dawned on her face, but Jack interrupted her. 

“You drowned and I couldn’t save you. All I could do was watch as you were pulled under and I just remember thinking, as I was fighting my way towards you, that I couldn’t…” he paused as he choked up, his throat growing tight. “I couldn’t lose you. And then I did.” 

Jack huffed in frustration and wiped his eyes as a lone tear made its way down his cheek.

He saw Phryne getting up and briefly thought she might leave, as embarrassed by his tears as he was himself, but instead she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind, steadying him, as she buried her face in his neck. Jack briefly considered arguing that he was sweaty and smelly but he couldn’t bring himself to make her move away.

“I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” Phryne murmured quietly but Jack heard every word, inhaling shakily.

There were many things he could have said. That with her reckless way of living one could never be sure what would happen. That he couldn’t live with himself if something happened to her that could have been prevented. But he loved her courage, and her sense of adventure, and he knew that she didn’t mean to be senselessly reckless. He loved _her_. 

“The thought of losing you…. it’s unbearable,” Jack brought out and he felt Phryne nod against his shoulder, her arms around him tightening.

They stayed like that for a moment until Jack gently touched Phryne’s wrist with his fingers and she released him, stepping back as she wiped at her eyes. Jack turned around in his chair, surprised to be looking into red eyes, wet trails on Phryne’s cheeks that he knew could also be found on his face.

He couldn’t help himself and started chuckling, surprising Phryne with his reaction before she smiled as well.

“What a sorry pair we make, Jack Robinson.”

Jack shook his head as he laughed quietly, and reached out his hand, not failing to notice how relief passed over Phryne’s features as she took his offered fingers and let herself get pulled into his lap. 

“Are we alright?” She asked quietly, her face serious again, her eyes focused on a spot on his shirt instead of his eyes. 

“Yes, of course.” 

“You’re not mad at me?” 

“Why would I be?” Jack asked, pulling back slightly with a surprised look on his face. 

“I drowned in your dream…” Phryne started not having to finish her sentence, both of them transported back to the two arguments they had had about the incident where she had actually almost drowned.

“I told you I don't want you to change. I meant that.” Jack started. “I… well, I think it’s still difficult not to worry, knowing that that won’t be the last time you’re in danger.” 

Phryne nodded solemnly, then reached up to wipe the remnants of his tears away. 

“I worry about you too,” she finally said, her own eyes shining with unshed tears.

“But, there’s no point living in fear when we could use our time so much better. Like spending time with those we love,” she added and looked at him, just a bit uncertain, her face softening when Jack leaned down slightly to kiss her, further assuring her that everything was alright between them.

“You’re right, of course,” he smiled. “It’s just been a while since I had such a… vivid, nightmare. It affected me a lot more than I thought it would. Though of course it would, given the subject.”

Phryne kissed him again, tenderly pressing her lips to his. "You can talk to me about this, or anything else, anytime you want, you know that, right?"

Jack nodded and they sat quietly for a moment, before Phryne's eyes took on a playful twinkle that Jack much preferred over seeing her anxious. He was looking forward to a change in subject.

“So tell me, Jack” Phryne started, the corners of her mouth tilting up in a grin. “Did you see anything exciting in the wild world out there? Cars? People? Maybe even a train? Pirates?”

“I don’t have to go looking outside for my pirate girl from Collingwood,” Jack teased her back, remembering the conversation they had once had about bikes and childhood adventures. “It was a bit odd being outside again. I really… well I know we should stay inside the house but I just had to clear my mind. I didn’t come close to anyone, though,” he added.

“You don’t have to explain, Jack,” Phryne assured him, glad to have him back to his old self, and he gave her a thankful smile, unable to resist kissing her again, only drawing back when she moaned softly into his mouth.

“And what were you doing, exactly?” Jack inquired, his cheeks a bit warm from the kiss as he curiously looked around the kitchen and took in the mess on the counters as well as the half-burnt contents of the pan. 

“You’ll laugh.” 

“I promise I won’t,” Jack assured her, his arms still wrapped around her waist, his thumbs drawing soft circles on her side. 

“I was attempting to make breakfast. I, well, I didn’t know exactly what you were working through but I wanted to do something nice for you…” Phryne trailed off, gesturing to the burnt pan.

“Why on earth would I laugh about something like that? I truly appreciate you making the effort, thank you for that,” Jack commented, dropping a kiss to her hair and Phryne rolled her eyes, but smiled. 

“The eggs may not be salvageable, but I did make some coffee,” Phryne continued and Jack grinned. 

“Coffee sounds perfect. I think I’ll shower first, though,” he said, sniffing his sleeve, and Phryne only now seemed to realize how sweaty he was. 

“I’ll try to rescue the food in the meantime,” she muttered, sending a chagrined look towards the stove and Jack laughed. 

***

Phryne did in fact managed to rescue a respectable amount of the eggs, waiting for Jack along with a few slices of toast and a cup of coffee when he got out of the shower.

Phryne looked justifiably proud of herself, watching him over the rim of her coffee cup as he ate.

She was more relieved than she would have liked to admit that there were no tensions left between them. However, as she watched him, Phryne noticed that Jack would move his neck in odd ways, his brow tensing slightly whenever he tilted his head to the right. She devised a plan.

Jack watched with a raised eyebrow when Phryne cleared his plate, followed by a look from her that plainly scolded him for being surprised. His eyebrow remained raised when she stepped up behind him, relaxing as he felt her smooth her hands over his shoulders. He was just wondering how he’d ever gone without Phryne's touch, when she suddenly pressed down into his muscle, _hard_ , and he yelped, flinching away from her. 

“You’re all tense,” she commented and Jack looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

“You could have figured that out without digging _into_ me,” he replied dryly and Phryne shrugged, a smile on her face. 

“Would have been less fun, though,” she grinned, before her face softened. “You know, I could give you a massage if you’d like, you just have to ask.” 

Jack was momentarily stunned by her offer, only because it made him realize how long it had been since anyone, nevermind a woman he was dating, had massaged him. He also wouldn’t have thought that Phryne, with her rather delicate hands, would offer to massage him. She didn’t have to wait long for the answer.

***

A short time later, Jack was lying shirtless on his back on the bed, smirking up at Phryne where she standing before him, the massage oil from Mac’s gift basket in hand. 

She made a twirling motion with her finger as she smirked at him and Jack grinned before flopping over onto his stomach, his arms by his sides. Phryne had had the wise foresight to put a towel underneath him, stating that the oil “tends to get everywhere”, and Jack didn’t bother to ask how she knew that.

“So, _Mr. Robinson_ , you booked our _special_ massage?” Phryne said in a breathy voice as she tugged down his trousers a bit before straddling his butt, and Jack chuckled. 

“I suspect my ending will be happy either way,” he mumbled into the towel and now it was Phryne’s turn to laugh. 

“Very well,” she went on in her normal voice, pouring a generous amount of oil onto her palms and rubbing them together before setting her hands on his shoulders, softly stroking his skin. 

“I don’t mind you applying a little more pressure,” Jack teased and Phryne rolled her eyes.

“Will you just let me work?”

Jack pointedly pressed his lips together and Phryne smiled, further smoothing her hands over his back until he was covered in oil, before moving her hands back to his neck, digging her thumbs into the tense muscles she found there. 

Jack groaned deep in his chest and Phryne felt herself grow warm at the sound. She started working on his neck, alternating strong massaging circles with her thumb and longer strokes with the base of her palm. Jack was in heaven, his entire body tingling under her ministrations. 

He almost laughed that he ever doubted her ability to massage. He should have realized that Phryne knew what she was doing; had probably learned the craft from some hot masseur in Thailand. He wasn’t going to question how she had come by this particular skill however, feeling highly privileged to be on the receiving end of it in the present.

When Phryne found a new knot along the side of his spine, in-between his shoulder blades, Jack groaned again, smirking when he felt Phryne’s thighs tighten around his hips. He’d find a way to reciprocate the pleasure she was providing to him; if he didn’t fall asleep, that was. It was getting increasingly difficult to stay awake as Phryne worked out the knot until Jack relaxed again, his body melting into the mattress until he was soft and pliant underneath her hands once more, his eyelids growing heavy.

Phryne continued until she found no more knots and her hands grew tired, almost all of the oil absorbed into Jack’s skin by now. Satisfied with her work, she slid off of Jack’s bottom, keeping her fingers on his back, lightly trailing them over his skin as she watched his ribcage rise and fall with his breaths. 

Jack didn’t react and Phryne assumed he had fallen asleep, smiling as she kept tracing the lines of his ribs and shoulder blades, mapping his body in a way she hadn’t allowed herself time for during the past few days.

Eventually she made to move her hand away, planning to clean up the kitchen, when Jack’s hand twitched slightly and he mumbled something unintelligible. 

“Hmm?” She asked softly. 

“Don’t stop,” he mumbled again, though now she could make out the words, and Phryne smiled, lying down next to Jack before she moved her fingers back to his skin, continuing to draw senseless patterns as she listened to his breathing until her own eyes grew heavy.

***

Jack woke up wrapped around Phryne from behind, her soft body neatly tucked in front of his, his arm flung over her waist, his face buried in her hair. He had no idea what time it was, nor did he care, his body loose and the bed ridiculously comfortable. Phryne started to rouse, sensing his shift in breathing and Jack pressed a kiss against her hair, pulling her tighter to him.

“Did you nap with me out of solidarity?” He chuckled softly and Phryne smiled, her eyes still closed. 

“You just looked very comfortable. I couldn’t resist.” 

“Fair enough,” Jack grinned, laying his head back down on his pillow. Phryne always smelled delicious, but here, with their scents mingled, the bed warm and soft, he thought she’d never smelled more heavenly. Jack began gently stroking her belly through the robe, trailing his fingers up to her breasts and down to the crease of her thigh. 

Phryne hummed, lightly moving her hips back against his and Jack smiled as his body suddenly wasn’t all loose anymore. 

“Phryne?” He murmured, his hand moving to her hips to hold her steady as he lightly tilted his pelvis into her arse.

“Yes?” 

“What exactly does the _special_ massage entail?”

“I'm so glad you asked... you get to choose your special reward,” she breathed, reaching an arm back to cup the back of Jack’s head, pulling his lips to her neck. Jack smiled, kissing the soft skin behind Phryne’s ear before nipping at her earlobe to hear her gasp.

“I was thinking...” he murmured. “I should reciprocate the massage.” 

“Marvelous suggestion,” Phryne smiled, her breath hitching as Jack’s hand trailed into the robe between her breasts before moving to untie the sash and peeling back one side to reveal her bare front. 

“Hmmm, I thought I’d start up here,” Jack whispered, cupping her breast in his hand and massaging the soft flesh, capturing her nipple between two fingers and teasing at it until it stood out hard. 

Phryne moaned, her hips starting to grow restless and Jack could feel her clenching her thighs together. He kept up his ministrations to her breast, switching to the other side before releasing her with a moan of his own that he couldn’t contain. 

He trailed his hand down her stomach, feeling her shiver as he tickled her lightly. Jack ran his hand down the length of her thigh, trailing his fingers to the back of her knee until Phryne squirmed against him and he moved his hand back to the front of her leg, tugging it upwards. 

Phryne groaned in anticipation as the air hit her folds. She knew she was already wet, aroused by Jack’s touch, his words, his presence behind her, _him_. Jack kept pulling her leg up until it was resting on his, opening her up to him. 

“And then…. I thought I’d keep going down here,” Jack murmured, stroking his fingers up the inside of her thigh, muttering a curse when he encountered her wet folds. 

They groaned in unison as he sank two fingers inside of her, stroking her walls rhythmically, delighting in the way Phryne started pumping her hips against him, faster and faster, her grip on his hair tightening. 

“Ja--aack,” Phryne whined, her hips rolling against his palm. “All of you, I want all of you.” 

Jack nodded, his cock painfully hard in his trousers and he pulled his fingers from her, sliding her thigh back down so he could crawl over her to reach the condom on the nightstand, taking off his trousers as he considered how to take her. 

“Like we were, Jack. Please,” Phryne looked at him from underneath hooded eyes and Jack swallowed, before moving back behind her, smirking when she lifted her leg again to make room for his thigh to slide between hers. Jack sheathed himself before pressing himself to her back, positioning his cock below before he pushed into her, feeling her exhale sharply as her walls stretched around him. 

Phryne had lost track of how many times they had fucked over the last few days but it didn’t matter, it felt delicious _every. Damn. Time_. She already knew she'd never get enough of him. Jack’s mouth on her ear drew her back to the present, and she clenched around him as she savored the fullness of his cock inside of her. 

Jack began to move at this, his hand clenching on Phryne’s hip as he thrust into her, pressing sloppy kisses against her neck, carrying her higher and higher until her hips started to stutter against him and Jack lost his rhythm. They came together on a quiet moan, Phryne’s breath hitching as she rippled around him and Jack pressed tightly against her as they rode out their orgasms, hips jerking.

Phryne giggled as she turned her head to kiss him and Jack grinned, sweeping his hand back up her torso to her breast to playfully pinch her nipple. 

“That was, without question, the best massage I’ve ever had.”

***

It was later that day, mid-afternoon, when Phryne came skipping into the living room where Jack was reading, several thin boxes in her hand. He looked up, his brow creasing as he spotted the puzzles he usually kept stored in the back of his closet.

“You didn’t tell me you had so many puzzles, Jack! What do you say?” Phryne grinned, holding out one of the boxes, a 500 piece dog puzzle Jack had kept aside for his older nephew.

“You want to do children’s puzzles?” He questioned, charmed by her enthusiasm. 

“Well, not all of them are for children,” Phryne pointed out. “These have 5000 pieces!”

Jack was still not convinced. He liked doing puzzles, was quite good at them in fact. When his grandfather had passed away, Jack had been the one to get his large collection of puzzles that had accumulated over the last few years of the old man’s life.

“I have a proposal… to make it more interesting,” Phryne smirked, changing tactics and Jack leaned back on the sofa with a smile, curious what she had come up with now. 

“We play against each other. Whoever finishes their puzzle first, wins.”

“What are the stakes?”

“Winner gets to pick a movie tonight,” Phryne suggested and Jack tilted his head, considering. 

“You know I never would have pegged you to be the one for puzzles. They take a lot of patience, you know.” 

“Jack!” Phryne huffed, as she looked at him, offended. “First of all, I can be very patient.” 

Jack gave her a look. 

“Well alright, blame it on quarantine, then. I am _so_ _bored ._ ” She looked truly chagrined now and Jack shook his head before sitting up, smiling when he saw her eyes light up. 

“Thank you, darling,” Phryne kissed his cheek as she laid out the puzzles, her eyes sparkling. “We’ll pick ones with the same amount of pieces to make it fair, obviously. And we'll do small ones so it doesn't take forever.”

“I love that you can find joy and entertainment in the smallest things,” Jack felt the need to point out and Phryne smiled over her shoulder at him. 

“Life would be boring if you only took joy from the big events, Jack.”

***

“That’s impossible!” Phryne huffed as they jerked their hands away from their respective puzzles at the same time. 

Jack just shook his head and laughed quietly. While they were playing they had been evenly matched, Phryne one step ahead most of the time but Jack had caught up in the end and they had finished together. Who would have thought that even puzzles would manage to mirror their relationship? 

“Rematch?” He suggested with a smirk and Phryne shook her head in exasperation. 

“I don’t think I have the patience for another one,” she huffed and glared at Jack before he could make a comment.

“So where does that leave our choice of movie for tonight?” He inquired, reaching out to draw her closer. Phryne harrumphed and crossed her arms, but moved next to him, letting him kiss her until her face relaxed. 

"We either flip a coin, or we could watch whatever pops up first as recommended. Actually, I think that would be fun!,” Phryne perked up and Jack shrugged. How bad could it be? 

“Sure.”

***

“What… the absolute fuck,” Jack said after the preview on the homepage had played through, turning to Phryne with pleading eyes. 

“We made a deal, Jack!” She reminded him, though he could tell that she was also sceptical. “I think I actually read something about this show online… we’ll just give it a try! Dive deep into the world of Joe Exotic, the "Tiger King".”

Phryne laughed at the expression on Jack’s face and grabbed a fistful of popcorn before pressing play. 

After about 3 hours, Jack finally called a stop to it, turning off the TV as the credits of the most current episode were rolling.

“That's the last available episode for now, but I don't think I could watch any more even if there was more,” he informed Phryne, who was curled up next to him, one leg thrown over his while his arm rested around her, and Jack could feel her shaking her head as she processed what they had just seen. 

“Those poor animals. Every single one of these bastards should be in jail,” she muttered and Jack squeezed her waist in agreement.

“Really pulls you in though, doesn’t it.” He stated. “Americans, honestly.”

Phryne laughed softly as tilted her head up to look at him. 

“So what’s your verdict, Detective Inspector? Did Carole Baskin kill her husband?’ Phryne asked in a high-pitched voice, fluttering her lashes at him. 

“I’m afraid I don’t have enough evidence to make that call,” Jack chuckled. “Besides, there are still 5 episodes to come, who knows what evidence they’ll reveal in those.”

“I don’t think she’ll reveal the best way to feed someone to tigers, if that's what you're waiting for,” Phryne playfully rolled her eyes.

“As for right now, I’m giving her the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty, and all that.” 

“You’re no fun,” Phryne pouted, but her tone was teasing. 

“Hmmm, maybe I should show you just how much fun I can be,” Jack suggested innocently, moving until she was lying underneath him and he was leaning over her, watching with pleasure as Phryne’s eyes went dark. 

“You know how much I like being entertained,” Phryne whispered as she lifted her head and Jack met her halfway, softly parting her lips with his. 

They undressed each other with practiced ease, at this point, and Jack was glad to have thought of stocking up his pockets with condoms, Phryne pulling him back over her in no time at all.

Their lips collided messily, tongues wrangling with each other as Phryne lifted her hips against him, searching, and Jack pulled back, gripping his cock tightly to align himself. On a whim, he grabbed Phryne’s leg, pushing it up against her chest just as he pushed forward, almost forgetting how to breathe at the unexpected tightness the position brought. 

Phryne choked out a groan, the muscles in her leg flexing against his hold, but Jack kept her thigh pressed against her chest as he withdrew and then thrust forward again. Phryne’s back arched and Jack felt her move her other leg, lifting it around his hip. 

He grabbed her calf and now pushed both of her legs against her, his brain going foggy at the view that now presented itself to him as he looked down, his shaft glistening with her arousal, her folds enveloping him in a tight embrace, made tighter by Phryne’s thighs, pressed together. 

Her hands were scrabbling at his forearms as Jack took up a rhythm, thrusting shallowly before withdrawing and rocking forward as hard as he dared, compressing her clit with each movement. By Phryne’s whimpers and moans, the angle worked for her as well as it did for him and Jack soon lengthened his strokes, focusing on the drag of his cock head against her walls.

He felt new pressure on his arms and then Phryne was pulling him forward, the motion blocked by her thighs. Jack moved her legs to the side to hang over his right shoulder, the tilt of her hips once again increasing sensation for them both. He looked at Phryne for a moment, her mouth open and her breath coming in short gusts, her chest and neck already covered in red blotches that he’d learned meant she was close. 

Phryne pulled at him again and Jack finally leaned down, pushing her legs even tighter against her torso as he took a nipple between his teeth. Phryne jerked against him, dragging his head up to hers, her tongue spearing desperately into his mouth, muffling her moan.

“With me, come with me,” she murmured around his tongue and Jack groaned as he felt her start to come apart around him, her lips latched onto his as she shook against him, swiftly taking him over the edge with her. 

Phryne’s lips fluttered over his face like butterflies as they recovered, her legs still over his shoulder, her body folded together. She didn’t mind for the moment, cherishing Jack’s weight on top of her, the slight strain she could feel in the backs of her thighs. 

“Deep down, you know that Carole Baskin killed her husband,” Phryne whispered into Jack's ear when she reached it, her voice the best imitation of Joe Exotic she could manage.

Jack gasped out a laugh, burying his face between her breasts. He hugged Phryne tighter to him as they shook, this time from laughter, the sounds carefree and joyous as they rang through the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Tiger King..... for anyone who hasn't watched it, first of all, my sincerest apologies for including it. 
> 
> I feel like most people have at least heard of it as it truly just blew up the internet back in March. But in case you haven't, "Tiger King" it's an 8-part docu-series about Joe Exotic, an eccentric zookeeper who owned an exotic animal ranch in Oklahoma and calls himself the Tiger King. 
> 
> He is currently in prison for a murder plot on Carole Baskin, his biggest critic and rival. There's a whole storyline in the series about Carole's first husband disappearing under suspicious circumstances, and in one of the later episodes she actually does say that "in order to get a tiger to actually eat someone, you'd have to cover them in sardine oil", which convinced many people that she had in fact killed her husband and fed him to tigers. 
> 
> "Carole Baskin killed her husband" quickly became an extremely popular opinion and honestly very plausible, given what we see in the show, hence I use it here. 😂
> 
> ANYWAY, in case you couldn't tell already, I got way too invested in this show when I first watched it (it is VERY hard not to) and watching it with Miss_Ash was one of the most memorable quarantine experiences I had, so Phrack got it too. 😂
> 
> P.S.: In case you _haven't_ seen "Tiger King", I feel like you should watch it, if you have the time, if only for the sense of community of what feels like the entire world having watched it. Every episode legitimately just feels like a further descend into madness, like you're entering some sort of parallel universe except its _real_ , these people are _real_.
> 
> And now I will stop going on about "Tiger King" and finish the next chapter 😂🙃


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended for this chapter to be mostly fluff... turns out it's mostly smutty smut, don't let the first half fool you. Fluff in the next chapter then 😂.

It had been another slow morning. Jack had gotten up early to make coffee while Phryne had sprawled herself across the bed, taking advantage of the extra space. Now, Jack was reading on his phone while Phryne slumbered by his side, enjoying his fingers in her hair and his voice as he read her the important headlines from the news.

“Oh lord, apparently they’re going to start shutting down airports.” Jack’s hand in Phryne’s hair stilled as he read through the article and Phryne made a disgruntled noise, pushing herself up to look at his phone with him, her face dropping as she read along with him. If airports started shutting down, there was no telling when they would reopen again, which meant that this morning had suddenly become a lot less lazy. Phryne dropped her head back into Jack's lap, reluctant to face what lay ahead. 

“I’m going to have to call my mother,” she groaned, burying her face in the blanket on his thighs while Jack stroked her shoulder comfortingly. 

Avoidance was of no use in this case, Phryne realized and sighed as she sat up, grabbing Jack’s coffee from his nightstand and taking a few sips to fortify herself for the upcoming conversation. 

Jack sent her a sympathetic glance. “Anything I can do?” 

“Stay right where you are so I can ravish you once I’m done,” Phryne ordered him seriously, with a glance to his naked chest, and Jack smirked at her choice of words. He had no objections to being ravished, however, leaning over to kiss her and grabbing back his coffee from her hands before he settled back into the pillows. 

***

After about an hour, Jack felt his stomach begin to growl and, with no indication of Phryne returning to the bed any time soon, he decided to get up and get dressed, padding barefoot through the house in search of her. 

He found her in the living room, and smiled at her appearance, still dishevelled from sleep as she hadn’t brushed her hair, her phone at her ear. Phryne looked up then and mouthed an apology, rolling her eyes at her phone and gesturing to her laptop in front of her.

“Do you need anything?” Jack whispered, to which Phryne poked his thigh, her lips shaping around a "you". Jack grinned, patting her shoulder, and then went to the kitchen to get started on breakfast. 

As he was preparing their toast, Jack listened to the muffled noises of Phryne debating with her mother. He smiled when he finally heard Phryne hang up, her hands sliding around his waist from behind only a short time later. 

“I thought I told you to stay in bed.”

“Hmm, well I got hungry. Everything alright?” Jack smiled and turned around to see her pout. 

“As alright as it can be. My mother and I came to the decision, or rather I convinced her, that it would be best if she took a flight back to England as soon as possible, so she doesn’t get stuck here for who knows how long. It took a while for her to realize that that is in her best interest as well. Also, my father has apparently been calling, wanting to apologize, so that also helped with the decision.” 

“That sounds nice of him.”

“Oh, he doesn’t mean it and it’s not going to change anything. But my mother always ends up forgiving him anyway.”

Jack stroked a hand over the small of her back. Phryne’s relationship with her father was a mystery he felt privileged she gave him at least a bit of insight to from time to time. 

“Have you booked a flight yet?”

“Yes, for tomorrow afternoon, it’s the earliest one I could find,” Phryne sighed. “I think I’ll head out to the apartment tomorrow to at least say goodbye from a distance.” 

Jack nodded but remained otherwise silent. If Phryne’s mother was gone, the main reason why Phryne stayed with him in the first place was gone. Of course their relationship was different now, but he wondered if she would still want to stay at her apartment again.

“I was thinking I should sleep at the apartment tomorrow, clean up a bit,” Phryne continued, and then hesitated. “I don’t… well I didn’t expect my mother to be gone so soon.” She stated, her tone not indicative of how she was feeling.

“Everything seems to be changing pretty quickly now,” Jack agreed, and then decided to just ask her. “Are you going to come back?” 

“You’re not tired of me yet?” Phryne quipped, but Jack didn’t think he was imagining the relief in her voice..

“I may be tired _because_ of you,” he began with a slight tilt of his jaw. “But not of you, never of you.” 

“You don’t know that, but I appreciate the sentiment,” Phryne smirked and Jack shrugged with a smile of his own. He knew how he felt.

“I’d love to come back,” Phryne finally answered his question. “Not much point of me sitting alone in my apartment while the city is shutting down if I could be here with you instead.”

Jack just smiled and pulled her close to kiss her, letting his tongue slip just past the perimeter of her lips. 

“So, you’re heading out tomorrow,” he spoke when they parted, more to himself than to her and Phryne nodded, stepping around him to reach the toast he’d prepared. 

“Around noon, I should think. Why?”

“Nothing, just thinking that I’ll finally be able to get some work done,” Jack said, almost managing to keep a straight face, but failing utterly when he saw the offended look on Phryne’s face. 

“You keep that up and I’ll just stay at my apartment,” she warned him and Jack chuckled, snatching the toast from her hand for a change, happily taking a bite. 

“No, but really, I was trying to figure out a plan for today if you’ll be gone tomorrow.”

“Does there have to be a plan?” Phryne asked, stealing the toast back again with a satisfied smile.

“Well, no, but I like plans. And I thought we could do something nice, since we, or you, more accurately, haven’t left the house in a week.” 

“Oh god, don’t remind me it’s been that long. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed inside for a week straight.”

“Maybe you were just missing a reason to stay in?” Jack cheekily suggested and Phryne smirked. 

“Hm, that too, but you know me, Jack. I like people, I like action, I like going out for drinks…” she trailed off, since the list of things she liked was endless and she knew Jack got the point.

“Now there’s an idea. How about we have a drinks night.” 

“Ooohhh, are you suggesting a date, Jack Robinson?” Phryne asked, her face animated, as she finished the slice of toast. 

“A stay-at-home date, if you will,” he replied. “Though I will of course be paying for the drinks, if the lady is agreeable.” 

“The lady finds herself to be very agreeable,” Phryne smirked, knowing that the liquor would be coming from his cabinet. 

“Good!” Jack clapped his hands together. “That’s settled then. Shall I pick you up at 7?” 

Phryne grinned at his willingness to keep up the game and nodded. “7 is perfect. You’ll find me in the….” she tilted her head and looked around for a moment, considering her options. “...bathroom.”

Jack raised an eyebrow but said nothing and nodded, handing her another slice of toast.

***

The rest of the day seemingly flew by, with Jack working and gardening while Phryne read and fielded several more calls to her mother and to Dot, who wanted to help in whatever way she could. 

Their ordered groceries were delivered in the afternoon and Jack looked through everything they had received while he listened to Phryne debate with her mother on the phone. 

“My mother wants to change her flight,” Phryne huffed angrily when she came to join him in the kitchen.

“Are you going to?” Jack asked, smiling when Phryne insinuated herself underneath his arm so he could press a kiss against her temple before she extricated herself again to grab a glass of water. 

“Of course not! That flight was damn expensive and besides, she agreed to fly tomorrow, it’s not my fault she’s suddenly changed her mind. And just imagine if she actually got stuck here,” Phryne shuddered at the thought and Jack turned his head to hide his smile. 

“Right, well, our groceries got delivered,” he went on, changing the subject and Phryne just now seemed to notice the baskets in front of him. 

“Oh.”

“A little more excitement, if you would, Miss Fisher. After all it was you who asked for cooking lessons,” Jack grinned and Phryne shot him a pained look. 

“Do we have to do it today?”

“Well, we ate my mother’s cooking and really there’s not much left in the fridge…” Jack began. “Besides, it would be nice to eat something special for our dinner tonight.”

Phryne mumbled something about them having different definitions of ‘special’ but stepped up next to him again, the thought of their dinner bringing a smile to her face. 

“Right, what are we making then?” She sighed, resigning herself to her fate.

“How do you feel about Ratatouille?”

***

After Jack had suggested that he didn’t appreciate her playing with the food, Phryne had proceeded to wash the vegetables in the most suggestive way she could, basically giving the eggplant a handjob that had Jack turning red at the ears.

When she raised the zucchini to her lips, her intent clear, he finally laughed and Phryne smirked in triumph. 

“Alright, you’ve made your point,” he acquiesced, handing her a knife and Phryne hummed to herself as she sliced the vegetables while Jack busied himself with the sauce. 

It was companionable, really, not that Phryne would have liked to admit it to Jack, lest he want to cook with her more often. But it was… fun, even more so when Jack started telling her about how his grandmother had taught him how to cook when he was a child and he had harbored a secret, or not-so-secret, passion for home-cooked food ever since. 

When the pan was in the oven, Phryne excused herself to get ready, grinning as she left Jack in the kitchen.

The smile was still on her face as she stood over her suitcase in the guest bedroom. She had a pair of matching underwear left, one advantage of having been mostly naked the past few days, and after grabbing the clothes her mother had packed for her, which were reasonably chic at least, as well as her make-up bag, Phryne disappeared into the bathroom.

***

Jack made sure their Ratatouille wouldn't burn and started preparing some dessert, before he went into his bedroom, eyeing the closed bathroom door with a smile on the way. He contemplated what to wear before pulling on jeans and a dress shirt, thinking that he should at least try to match whatever Phryne was doing in the bathroom. He went back into the kitchen to set the table, pouring them both some wine before he looked at his phone, seeing that he still had a few minutes left. Good.

Jack knocked on the bathroom door at precisely 7pm, a rose from his garden in hand. It was such a traditionally romantic gesture that he wondered if Phryne would find it silly but then again, tonight was a silly and romantic occasion all around. 

The door opened and Jack momentarily forgot how to breathe as he was vividly reminded of how brilliantly gorgeous Phryne looked with her usual armor of makeup and jewelry in place.

 _Untouchable._ That was what he had thought upon first meeting her, anyway. 

The reality of that same woman now walking up to him, barefoot, which helped to ground Jack, was almost unfathomable. Her lips were as ruby red as they had always been, her eyes seeming even more blue with the dark eyeliner smudged on her lid, the sparkle of her dangling earrings reflected in her gaze. Her outfit was simple and elegant, and as she got closer, Jack realized that she smelled of her usual perfume, his body responding immediately. 

“You brought me a rose,” Phryne smiled earnestly and Jack finally broke out of his stupor as he sprung into action, handing the flower to her and bending to press a kiss against her cheek. 

“You look beautiful,” he said, presuming that she had already been able to tell that by his initial reaction, and besides, she _knew_ she was beautiful, but her face lit up at his compliment anyway. 

“Thank you, you look rather handsome yourself,” she replied, appreciatively eyeing him up and down. 

Jack smiled, before gesturing down the hallway. “Shall we?”

***

Dinner was delicious and conversation, as well as the wine, flowed easily. Phryne wondered if it would be this easy outside of his house, and decided to push contemplation of that issue to another date. With the way things were developing with the pandemic, it would be a while until they could sit in a restaurant again, anyway.

Jack delivered on his drinks night as promised, lining up several bottles of liquor on his counter, smirking when he saw Phryne’s eyes light up. 

“Remind me why we didn’t do this earlier?”

“Our evenings were otherwise occupied, if I recall correctly,” Jack replied dryly and Phryne chuckled. “Who’s to say this evening won’t end with us ‘otherwise occupied’ as well?”

Jack didn’t really have an answer to that, deciding to fetch them glasses instead. 

***

“Starting off traditionally with glass of champagne,” Jack said as he turned around and handed Phryne one of the champagne flutes.

“And what are we toasting to?” Phryne smiled.

“To a new kind of partnership.” 

Phryne tilted her head but said nothing as they toasted. 

“You know, it’s very fitting. Our very first toast was with champagne,” she stated after she had taken a sip, enjoying the bubbles on her tongue as she thought back to all those months ago at the Windsor.

“Was it?” Jack asked innocently but with a knowing smile and Phryne looked at him appreciatively. She should have known that he remembered.

“You weren’t so excited about the prospect of working with me back then,” she pointed out and Jack shrugged. 

“I didn’t know you back then. Also, I wasn’t displeased about the prospect of working with you, I didn't know that was going to happen, as much as I was dismayed at the thought of you wreaking havoc on the city.”

“Wreaking havoc?” Phryne guffawed. “I have done nothing but help since my arrival in Melbourne,” she continued, taking another sip. Jack wisely kept his mouth shut.

***

As the drinks, real cocktails now, kept coming, their toasts grew significantly less serious, involving Mac’s gift basket, Phryne’s mother’s suitcase packing abilities, and Jack’s thighs (that particular toast being issued by Phryne). 

“To red lipstick”, Jack toasted without thinking at some point, his eyes having been glued to Phryne’s mouth just like they had so many times over the course of their acquaintance. Phryne toasted with him, though she had a curious smile on her face. Jack shrugged at her unspoken question, though the blush on his cheeks was answer enough. Phryne made a mental note for later.

It must have been during their fifth cocktail, - they had relocated to the living room floor at this point-, when Phryne rolled to turn towards Jack, regarding him with a serious look on her face. 

“Jack, we forgot to cook the rat.” 

Jack looked at her, stunned.

“What rat??” He asked, knowing that his brain was not operating at full capacity and yet it seemed an odd statement for her to make. Phryne started to giggle. 

“The rat from Ratatouille, shouldn’t it be part of the dish?” she went on, and at the look on Jack's face started laughing.

“You have never watched that movie, have you?” he snorted, looking at her affectionately as she laughed until she had tears in her eyes, her head thrown back as she rolled around the carpet.

“Wanting to kill poor Remy, honestly,” Jack mumbled into his drink, followed by another laughing fit from Phryne. It all really wasn’t particularly funny but then again, things didn’t have to be funny when one was drunk. In any case, Jack enjoyed feeling so deliciously light and free, and he enjoyed seeing Phryne happy more than anything else.

“Alright, sorry, it was a silly suggestion, we’ll spare... Remy’s, was it?... life,” Phryne finally conceded when she could breathe again. She sat up, steadying herself with a hand behind her before reaching out for her glass that was still half-full, raising it in another toast, impatiently waiting for Jack to do the same, before she started speaking in a grand voice.

“To rats and…” She paused. “To be perfectly honest, I forget where I was going with that.” Phryne snorted again, almost spitting out her drink and Jack just shook his head with a smile as he took a sip from his own glass, wondering if they should maybe slow down with the alcohol.

“Have you ever done a body shot?” Phryne suddenly asked, a wicked gleam in her eyes and Jack face went slack.

“Uhh, a long time ago maybe,” he answered diplomatically, adding “I’m not about to start again now.” 

If they started doing shots now, there was no way the night would end anywhere but in the bathroom, which was, _of course,_ the only reason Jack agreed to her next idea. 

“How about I grab Mac’s basket and we just... see what happens?” Phryne suggested innocently and Jack briefly considered his options before nodding his head. 

He didn’t believe he was drunk beyond the ability to… perform, and god knew he would never turn down a chance to ‘perform’ with Phryne. He watched the lady in question with a grin as she pushed herself up on all fours before standing up on slightly wobbly legs, reaching out to steady herself on the armchair before she was able to straighten up. 

“See? I’m perfectly fine,” she chirped, narrowly avoiding bumping into the doorway on her way to the bedroom and Jack snorted, shaking his head before slowly getting onto his feet as well, making his way to the kitchen to get them some water. 

***

The discovery of previously overlooked sex dice in Mac’s basket was made shortly after. 

Phryne squealed in delight, while Jack remained cautiously optimistic, wordlessly handing her a glass of water which she took, though not before rolling her eyes. Jack wanted to make sure they were sober enough to actually participate in the game, or rather, be aware of their actions. Then again, if he were completely sober, he’d probably consider the whole idea of sex dice to be rather awkward.

“Have you used these before?” Phryne asked cheekily when they had sat back down on the carpet, facing each other. Jack shook his head. 

“Can’t say that I have, but they seem self-explanatory enough.”

“They are,” Phryne grinned, holding up the two dice. “This one has body parts on it, this one instructions for what to do.” 

“Seems easier if we’re already undressed.” 

Phryne eyes twinkled at him. “Good catch. That was a major oversight on my part, I’ll admit, Inspector.”

*** 

She rolled for the first time a short while later, both of them down to their underwear, reminding Jack how rarely he had seen Phryne in a bra over the past few days. He looked forward to taking it off. 

“Suck, Neck” Phryne read out loud and Jack straightened involuntarily, eagerly anticipating her lips on his skin as she got up onto her knees, crawling over to him more elegantly than should have been possible given their state of inebriation.

“Would you like a mark?” Phryne breathed in his ear and Jack suppressed a moan, the smell of her perfume and _her_ , clouding his senses.

He knew she meant a love bite, but he suddenly realized that she’d be leaving a lipstick smudge behind whether she wanted to or not, the thought making him harden in his undershorts. 

“N…” he cleared his throat. “No mark is fine.” 

Phryne smirked before bending her head, lightly suckling on his skin just below his jaw, careful not to bruise. The touch was surprisingly controlled given how much alcohol they had both consumed and Jack couldn’t help but admire her iron constitution. 

“Oooops, seems my lipstick left a mark,” Phryne murmured when she pulled away, though she didn't sound particularly apologetic, and she didn't miss the way Jack’s cock twitched as she said this. This was all very promising. 

Jack still had his eyes closed when she spoke again. “Your turn.” He opened his eyes to see her sitting back across from him, a flush on her cheeks, though whether it was from the alcohol of the game, he couldn’t tell. Probably both. 

“Lick, Inner Thigh,” he read, smiling, watching as Phryne’s lips parted. She leaned back eagerly, unfolding her legs and letting them fall apart slightly. 

Jack crawled towards her, his brain starting to feel foggy for reasons other than alcohol as he got closer, inhaling her scent, mingled with the unmistakable aroma of her arousal. He met her eyes firmly before bending down, nosing along the seam of her panties before sticking out his tongue to trail along her inner thigh, tracing a path from mid thigh up to the edge of her panties before switching to the other side to do the same. He didn’t miss the way Phryne shifted subtly as she giggled, the damp heat of her center seemingly growing warmer as Jack caressed her sensitive flesh. He pressed a kiss to the inside of her knee for good measure, making her giggle again.

When Jack pulled back, Phryne had her head tilted back a dreamy smile on her face and he smirked, wondering how long they’d be able to keep up the game before giving in. 

***

When Phryne blew into his ear, Jack groaned, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her close only to have her move away again. When he pulled off her bra to kiss her nipples, she moaned, arching into his touch, her fingers digging into his shoulders, and it was his turn to pull back before she could draw him in. 

When Phryne stroked his butt, Jack smirked. When he sucked at her lip she whimpered and tilted her head to deepen the kiss and Jack let himself get drawn in, almost toppling them over. They only pulled apart with great difficulty and out of a desire to at least attempt to keep their foreplay going. It was also a matter of pride, after all. 

It was Phryne’s turn again when she rolled “Kiss, Below Navel”. 

Jack swallowed, shivering when he saw the predatory look in Phryne’s eyes. The thought of her lipstick on his belly, on his cock, on his mouth, was a fantasy he had harbored from early on in their acquaintance. He had had to fight hard a few times to resist just pressing her up against his desk to kiss her. Particularly when she was being clever.

“What are you thinking about?” Phryne asked as she prowled over to him, swaying only slightly as they were both slightly less drunk than before they had started their little game.

“Kissing you.” 

The statement was surprisingly sweet and Phryne smiled tenderly as she reached him. 

“Because of my lipstick?” 

“Because of you. But yes, the lipstick… the lipstick, too.”

“You like it, don’t you.”

“You’re rarely without it, of course I like it,” Jack answered, distracted by her fingers hooking themselves into the waistband of his boxers.

“Yesss, but I think you like it more than just a little,” Phryne wasn’t exactly sure where she was going with her rambling, her mind firmly set on her goal. She leaned forward just a bit and then paused with her mouth just out of reach of his, pulling back with a smile when he leaned forward to kiss her, presumably waiting for an answer. 

Jack was at a loss for words, not quite sober, or eloquent enough for the time being, to articulate what it was about her lipstick. It made her look sexy, powerful, and he wanted to be the one to smudge it, smear it all over her face and his, while he dismantled her defenses and gave himself fully over to her in the process. Now it was already slightly smudged by their kiss, but the red was still prominent and Jack longed for the color to be on him.

He was still contemplating how to answer her statement, but Phryne didn’t seem to be expecting a reply after all as she leaned down to press her lips against the skin just below his belly button, nuzzling into the trail of hair that started there and led down into his underwear where his cock was throbbing impatiently for her touch. 

Jack leaned back onto his elbows to get a better view and Phryne smirked as she looked up at him, pressing a few more kisses to him before lifting her head, her finger still hooked inside his waistband, slowly trailing from side to side. 

“Shall we end the game?” She suggested and Jack nodded emphatically, knowing that if she didn’t end it now, he would do so during his next turn. 

Phryne grinned, apparently satisfied, and pulled his underwear down, finally releasing his cock from its confinement, giggling tipsily when it sprang up in front of her face. The next thing Jack knew, her mouth was on him and Phryne was looking up at him, smirking around his shaft, her red lips pulled tight around him just like he had imagined in all of his fantasies and Jack had to exert all his self-control to not come immediately.

He couldn't stop the involuntary jerk of his hips, however, apologizing immediately and profusely when Phryne pulled back, coughing slightly as she had been unprepared for his thrust. She smiled and waved it off, her hand resuming its stroking as she looked at him. 

“Is this what you imagined my red lips doing all those times you looked at them?" She asked with a challenge in her eyes, bending down to take him inside again before Jack could answer.

It did something to Phryne to see him so unrestrained, allowing himself to lust after her and having the fantasy of her red lips around his cock fulfilled. She knew he loved her for more than her looks, which made this purely aesthetic fantasy all the more exciting for her.

Jack groaned, his eyes firmly fixed on where they were joined, watching his flesh disappear between the slashes of red that were her lips. When she pulled back, there were smudges, right at the base of his cock. Marking him hers, he thought as he clumsily set his glass aside before tunneling his hands into her hair.

Phryne considered her work rather proudly, hazy as her mind was. Jack’s cock on her tongue felt real, warm, welcome, and she smiled around his flesh when she saw the red smudges she was leaving behind. She felt his hands in her hair and swirled her tongue around his head in encouragement, satisfied when he began to lightly guide her movements, never to the point of her discomfort, _controlled even when he wasn't_ , she thought.

She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the taste and feel of him before glancing up his body again, wanting to be certain that he was watching her. Sure enough he was, his eyes fixed on the bright red of her lips. He met the brilliant blue of her eyes as they flashed up at him, his own pupils blown wide. 

Jack made a sound akin to a growl, dropping the hand in her hair to Phryne's neck and shoulders, pushing her up and away from his throbbing flesh. He swallowed her sound of disapproval, capturing her lips with his, all thoughts of foreplay suddenly gone. The sheer need he felt for her was like fire in his veins, coursing through him and catapulting him forward, on top of her as he pushed Phryne backwards, cupping the back of her head to protect it from hitting the ground, careful not to let his fingers catch in her earrings. 

Phryne gasped as she found herself thrown back, pillowed by Jack’s hands, the room spinning due to the alcohol and the urgency of his movements, and she mewled when Jack sucked her tongue into his mouth. Before she knew it, Jack was trailing hot kisses down her neck, sending goosebumps down her sides. His fingers made short work of her panties, impatiently tugging them down her legs before he crawled between her thighs. 

Phryne barely managed to raise her head in time to see the red smudges around his mouth, assuming that her lips were now bare, what was left after the blowjob now eaten off by his kisses. Then his mouth was on her and all she could do was lie there and moan, at the full mercy of Jack’s fingers and tongue as they started a relentless rhythm on her clit and opening. 

She had been aroused already from their foreplay and Jack’s reaction to her lipstick and her thighs began to shake after what felt like only a few moments. Jack’s hands anchored her to the ground as she writhed against his hold, the build up inside of her almost too much to bear. Jack nibbled at her folds before returning to suck at her clitoris and Phryne tensed, whimpering helplessly as she came, clenching hard around his fingers and against his tongue. 

Jack slowed his stroking, his head spinning from the cocktails and her scent. He could still feel her spasming lightly around his fingers whenever he moved them. Whether it was the alcohol or something else he didn’t know, but he was suddenly overcome with the overwhelming desire to make her come again and again until she had nothing left, even if it meant delaying his own satisfaction.

He glanced up at Phryne, his vision only slightly shaky, to see her eyes still closed, one arm thrown over her face as she panted. Experimentally, he laid his tongue flat against her clitoris again, smiling when her hips jumped at the contact. Jack increased the pressure slightly, lovingly circling the swollen nub while avoiding sucking at it directly. He slid his fingers inside of her slowly in and out, grinning against her when he felt her cunt loosen around his fingers once more, welcoming him in as her hips starting moving against his face again. 

“God, Jack,” Phryne moaned, her hands coming to tunnel into his hair, tugging sharply when Jack took her clit between his lips, crooking his fingers up just like he had the first time. His other hand was still on her lower belly, holding her steady as he ate her, her abdominal muscles clenching and quivering against his palm. 

He glanced up her body again to see her watching him and grinned wickedly as he explored her folds, always coming back to her clit, her wetness coating his hand and chin almost entirely. He slid the hand on her belly up her torso to her breast, tugging and pinching at her nipple at the same time he crooked an eyebrow in challenge and Phryne wailed as her face contorted in pleasure, her body curling up and around his head as her thighs shook around his ears. 

Jack thought he’d happily suffocate in the sweet space between her thighs, pressing gentle kisses against her dripping folds and equally wet inner thighs until she released him, her breath stuttering in her chest as she panted for air. 

Jack pulled his fingers from her, not missing the way her hips twitched when he passed them over the sensitive tissue at her opening, wiping the moisture on her thigh, fascinated by the wet trails shining in the dim light of the room. His cock was aching between his thighs and the room seemed a bit steadier as he leaned forward, pressing a bruising kiss to Phryne’s lips, who tried to reciprocate as best she could in her current state. 

She chuckled drowsily, her eyes still closed and Jack pulled back, tracing her smile with his still wet fingers, shuddering when Phryne opened her mouth to draw his fingers inside, tasting herself on them as she swirled her tongue around his fingertips. Jack growled, leaning over her to grab a condom from the basket, before coming back between her thighs.

He leaned down to capture a nipple, sucking lightly before biting at the underside of her breast, smiling when Phryne laughed. He waited somewhat impatiently until she opened her eyes, her hand moving to his hip to pull him forward, before he entered her, his mind going blissfully clear. She was so incredibly wet and hot around him and Jack groaned, burying his face in her neck as he remembered what he had set out to do. Phryne gasped, circling her hips against him as her inner walls twitched around him to accomodate his size. She dragged his head up so she could kiss him, biting at his bottom lip as he withdrew and grasped her hips with both hands as he sat back on his heels, pulling her with him. 

Phryne squealed at the change in angle, her arms flying to his thighs to hold onto as Jack began pulling her onto his cock, her ass sitting securely on his thighs. Phryne’s back arched as he started thrusting into her quicker and quicker, always holding her fast by her hips, the wet sounds of their flesh meeting coupling with their increasingly desperate moans. 

“Hnghh, Jack, more,” Phryne whimpered and Jack gritted his teeth, curling his upper body as he thrust so his abs pressed against her clit with every hard thrust. He felt Phryne’s legs wrap around his hips, the space between her legs widening with the change in angle and he tried to think of anything but the current situation to hold off his orgasm as he felt her start to clench around him. 

“Hm, oh, Jack, right there, don’t….,” Phryne moaned and Jack kept moving as he was, pressing his hips hard into hers when he felt her break apart, spasming and clenching wildly around his cock. She shrieked as she exploded and Jack fell forward, burying his face between her breasts and holding her tight, just barely managing not to come along with her. 

He kissed her sloppily, panting against her, both of their bodies drenched in sweat. Phryne’s hips were still moving against him slightly, her overstimulated flesh aching, though if for more or for mercy, she couldn’t have said.

“One more?” Jack breathed, and Phryne nodded jerkily as she moaned.

“Hmm, flip me,” Phryne commanded, trying to roll over on her own, the motion prevented by his legs between hers and Jack swallowed, repositioning himself so she could move, before assisting her by drawing her up onto her knees, her stance wide so she wouldn’t fall over, her balance far from steady at this point. 

Jack was sure the shaking of his hands had nothing to do with the alcohol anymore and everything to do with his arousal, stronger than he thought he’d ever experienced. The sight of Phryne, spread open and flushed and dripping wet made him groan, the desire to dive back into her folds to taste her coming back.

His own aching cock almost forgotten again, Jack suddenly wondered if he was trying to subconsciously make sure that Phryne would not be disappointed by his performance and return to him. He knew that she loved him more than for sex but he’d have been lying if he hadn’t worried in the past that he wouldn’t be able to satisfy her appetites. He pushed the thought away, focusing on the panting woman in front of him. 

Phryne would definitely be thoroughly satisfied tonight, Jack thought, mentally apologizing to himself for prolonging his own release, before leaning forward to nudge his nose against Phryne’s opening, flushed red and her folds swollen as he softly wrapping his lips around her clit once more.

“Jack,” she moaned desperately as she realized his intent, her body vibrating with arousal and exhaustion, her core thrumming along with the touch of his lips on her most sensitive part. She had always been able to come several times in a row but she wasn’t exactly sure what number Jack was striving for, as she felt her body nearing its limit. 

Just then, Jack pressed his finger against a sensitive spot just left of her clit, while his tongue plunged inside her and she moaned, her hips rocking back against him on their own accord. Apparently her body wasn’t at it’s limit just yet, Phryne thought and grinned, the expression probably turning out more like a grimace, but it was hidden from Jack’s view, anyway. 

“Two more,” he rescinded his earlier statement and Phryne gasped out a laugh as she pressed her forehead against the carpet, jolting when Jack’s fingers found their way over her buttock to her second opening, lightly stroking across it while his tongue was still speared inside of her. 

“God, yes,” she groaned out, her hands clenching and unclenching next to her head as Jack built a relentless rhythm with his tongue, one hand stroking over her clit in just the right way while the fingers of his other hand inexorably moved over her second entrance, never entering her but teasing at it all the same. 

Phryne felt her orgasm build, slower this time, like a wave rising and rising until it finally crashed, leaving her clenching around Jack’s tongue, her entire body vibrating with the curse he uttered into her flesh, spot dancing across her vision. 

Phryne's inner muscles were fluttering and clenching uncontrollably with the effects of four orgasms and she felt her insides quivering, pushing and clenching around nothing when Jack removed his tongue and fingers.

Before she could catch her breath, she felt his thighs pressed against hers again, his cock nudging at her before sliding smoothly inside, encountering no resistance from her aching muscles. 

“You’re so goddamn hot,” Jack growled in her ear and Phryne shivered, her body warring between exhaustion and arousal. At this angle, his cock pressed hard against just the right spot inside of her, causing sensations she had rarely felt before, not sure if she was workign her way towards another orgasm or if she was just experiencing one perpetual orgasm as her cunt fluttered around him, her breath stuck in her lungs.

Jack seemed to sense her state and slowed his movements, giving her time to recover as her muscles started to relax. Phryne breathed out gratefully, and when she had calmed, mustered her remaining strength to clench around him with purpose, drawing a satisfying groan from deep inside of Jack's chest. She was sure that he was painfully aroused, silently marveling at his restraint so far. 

“Fuck me,” she murmured, her words muffled by the carpet. “Come with me.”

Jack groaned, finally allowing himself to chase his own release as he rocked into her, pushing her forward with the force of his thrust. It wouldn’t take him long, he knew, and he dipped a hand between Phryne’s thighs again to touch her clit, making her yelp. 

“Not… not directly on it,” she moaned, her flesh undeniable over-sensitized now, and Jack leaned forward to press a kiss against her spine as he complied and moved his hand, instead sliding one finger on either side of her clit to press on her swollen labia, his palm pressing hard onto her mound just above her nub. Phryne whimpered her approval and Jack began to thrust faster again, faster and harder, until he felt his orgasm begin to tingle at his spine, his balls drawing up almost painfully as he bore down harder on Phryne’s pelvis, daring to pinch his fingers around her clit together just a bit, hearing her mewl in pleasure as his own orgasm overtook him and he came, pressed hard against Phryne as he felt her ripple around him, the contractions weaker than her previous orgasms but pleasurable all the same. 

Jack slipped from her body with a wet sound and dropped to his side, exhausted and still tipsy as Phryne did the same, curling up on her side facing him, right there on his living room floor, as she tried to catch her breath. 

“Are you alright?” Jack finally managed to ask, and felt himself relax fully when she nodded, smiling. 

“Hmmmh, ‘m good,” she murmured, her voice drowsy as she scooted closer to him, reaching out for his hand as her breathing grew heavier. Jack felt himself start to drift into sleep as well, his limbs lax and the air around them warm from their heated bodies. He reached over to pull down a blanket from the couch all the same, covering Phryne and then himself with it, promising himself he’d just close his eyes for a little while before getting them both to bed.

He chanced a last look at Phryne, her hair wild around her head, her lipstick smudged and her skin glowing. Her chest was lifting with each deep breath and Jack smiled as he reached over to slip her earrings from her ears, before lying back down. He'd really just close his eyes for one minute...

Jack awoke the next morning to a scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra special nod to my collab [Yes, And: AfterDark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21798433/chapters/52016398), and aurora_australis for the brief vegetable shenanigans (Chapter 6 and 7, if you're interested)!
> 
> Also, one last cliffhanger for this fic seemed necessary... 😄


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It didn't take me an entire week to update! Only a little more than half! (Though on that note it is currently past 3 am so excuse the number of mistakes this might contain)
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for your comments and ongoing support, it means the world ❤️

Jack barely had time to become conscious before the air was pushed from his lungs by something, or rather someone, jumping onto his back. He groaned at the sudden assault as he tried to open his eyes, blinking against the light streaming into the window. His mouth was parched, and his head felt heavy, his stomach uncomfortably queasy.

“Jack, there’s a spider!” Phryne’s panicked voice sounded from above him. Even in his hungover state, the sound of it wasn’t entirely unpleasant to his ears, which Jack took to be a good sign for their relationship.

“Jack, wake up!” Now she was shaking his shoulder. 

“I…” he cleared his throat. “I heard you the first time.” Not to mention _felt_ her when she had thrown herself on top of him.

Had he really had that much to drink last night? On reflection, yes, he had. Jack couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, he had woken up hungover on his living room floor. He did, however, remember everything from the previous night, which was a plus, and his cheeks warmed as the memories came flooding back. 

“It’s moving!” Phryne cried from on top of him before sliding down to one side, presumably to escape the spider on the other, her knee digging uncomfortably into his ribcage. 

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Jack mumbled, finally managing to fully open his eyes. He blinked a few times, trying to spot the beastly creature from his position on the ground. Wherever it was, it was blending in remarkably well.

“It was _on_ me,” Phryne kept talking behind him, effectively using him as a human shield. _How reassuring_.

Jack ignored his headache and propped himself onto his elbows, wiping one hand across his face. He still couldn’t see the spider, though granted his vision was a bit blurry. 

“Where?” He rasped out, really wishing he had a glass of water close by.

“Right there!” Jack saw Phryne’s finger from the corner of his eye, pointing to a spot about an arm’s length away from his body. He squinted, finally able to make out the small and completely benign creature against the fibers of his carpet. 

“Phryne…”

“It was _on_ me, Jack,” Phryne reiterated and Jack sighed and he dropped back down on the ground and rolled over onto his back, his eyes closed again. 

“What are you doing?!” 

“Recovering from last night,” Jack mumbled in reply, not seeing why he should get up right at this moment to take care of a completely harmless spider. 

“There are more important issues at hand,” Phryne complained, obviously referring to the spider. “Besides, really _I_ am the one who has to recover,” she went on and Jack furrowed his brow in a silent question. 

“Let’s just say I think walking will turn out to be somewhat unpleasant,” Her tone was light, her words no doubt meant to tease him, but they concerned Jack nevertheless and he finally opened his eyes again, squinting against the light as he took her in for the first time that morning. 

Phryne looked about as hungover as he felt, her makeup smudged around her eyes, her complexion altogether a bit sickly, though he didn’t think that was what she had been referring to. His concern must have shown on his face and Phryne regarded him fondly. 

“I’m just a bit sore,” she explained, stroking a hand down his chest, though not before another nervous glance towards the spider. “So, no sex today, I’m afraid.”

“However will I cope,” Jack replied dryly, sliding a hand up her thigh to her hip, stroking the skin there. “Are you sure you’re alright? I didn’t mean to… hurt you,” he said, his gaze worried on hers.

“You didn’t hurt me, Jack. Well, not beyond what a warm shower and some rest won’t fix,” Phryne assured him, looking at the spider once more to check that it hadn’t moved, before returning her gaze to his.

“Besides, other ways of… satisfaction are still an option,” Phryne smiled, the expression slightly off due to what Jack assumed was her own headache, as she trailed her hand down his chest towards his groin. 

Jack shook his head and grabbed her hand on its way, lifting it up to his lips to press a kiss against her knuckles, somewhat unsettled that Phryne would offer to give him pleasure at a time when she clearly wasn’t feeling well. Never mind the fact that sex was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

“I don’t need sex in order to enjoy spending time with you,” he murmured, willing Phryne to understand just how true that statement was for him. Their entire friendship had built while they were not having sex, and their mutual enjoyment of each other's company hadn’t changed just because they had found a new way to do so. At least that was how he felt. 

“I know that, and I feel the same way, I do. I just… don’t want you to be unsatisfied,” Phryne spoke, her eyes dropping away from his before she forced herself to return her gaze to his, finding nothing but love in it which put her at ease.

“I think that would be impossible,” Jack uttered, genuinely surprised by her suggestion and suddenly wondering if she harbored the same insecurities he did. “Also, I rather think out of the two of us, I am the one that's more likely to be thoroughly satisfied when it comes to, well, sex.”

Phryne was silent for a moment before a smile played around her lips. “Is that what your... eagerness last night was all about? Wanting to satisfy me?”

Jack blushed slightly and kissed her hand again. He shouldn’t be surprised that she was able to figure him out. After all, he was able to figure her out as well. 

“I love you for you, not because of your libido or your talents in the bedroom. Though those are undeniably, extremely fantastic." He paused, momentarily getting distracted by some rather explicit memories until Phryne playfully pinched his arm. “Uhm, right. And if you, or me, for that matter, isn’t feeling well I’d like to think we can still have some perfectly enjoyable time together without the sex.” 

Phryne smiled, stroking his thumb with hers, her hand still cradled in his. “I agree on all points. And for the record, you have already satisfied me more than I ever could have dreamed of. In all areas, not just sex," she added, not missing the way his eyes sparked with joy as she said this.

"I love you." 

"Hmmm... you took the words right out of my mouth,” Phryne smiled tenderly, silently wondering how on earth she had gotten so lucky.

“Must have been while you were….” Jack began with a grin, his eyes lighting up as he glanced at her lips, clearly waiting for her to finish the sentence. 

Phryne smiled wickedly as she opted for a show rather than tell and she leaned forward to kiss him, neither of them caring much about their morning breath.

“Meat Loaf,” she whispered when they parted and Jack suppressed a groan, the mental image of the actual dish, rather than the band, having a rather unfortunate effect on his stomach.

“I’m rather thinking dry toast and eggs and lots and lots of water at the moment,” Jack admitted and Phryne chuckled, the thought of water incredibly appealing at the moment. 

She let her eyes drift over to the sofa where her glass from last night stood, having the sinking feeling that she was forgetting something when she suddenly remembered what it was. Her eyes jerked to where the spider had been sitting on the carpet, that spot now empty. 

She shrieked, shuffling back as she scanned the ground, breathing out in relief when she spotted the spider again, only a few inches over from where it had been sitting. Jack observed her with no small amount of amusement and, after checking to make sure that the animal was staying in the same spot for the moment, allowed his eyes to close again.

“Jack, would you do something for me?”

He had moved his hand back to Phryne’s thigh, though it was now significantly more tense underneath his fingers and he sighed, knowing what was coming.

“Depends. As long as it doesn’t involve sudden movements.”

“Would you _please_ take care of the spider."

***

One advantage of Phryne Fisher being used to being hungover was that she also knew how to remedy the condition. 

After chugging some water and then drinking a frankly disgusting concoction of several items from his fridge - Jack hadn’t really wanted to know what Phryne had put in it-, he was actually starting to feel better. 

Phryne had winced as she had sat down and Jack had flinched along with her, resisting the urge to apologize, knowing that she wouldn’t want that. It still didn't stop him from feeling bad. On another matter, he was somewhat to relieved to see that Phryne was also feeling the effects of the alcohol the previous night, suggesting that their over-indulgence wouldn't become a regular occurrence. Now she was scrolling through her phone at the kitchen table, massaging her temple as she did so, he makeup still smudged. Eventually she set her phone to the side, letting her head drop into her hands on the table and Jack couldn't help but smile as he watched her.

“You alright?”

“Yes, just a bit… tired, Jack.”

“Getting old, Miss Fisher?” Jack couldn’t help but tease and received a look that could kill.

“Says the man who doesn’t know what the ‘Nae Nae’ is."

“I would argue that’s an unfair comparison,” Jack smiled, then tilted his head. “What _is_ the ‘Nae Nae’, by the way?” 

“A dance move.” 

“Oh, in that case, would you like to demonstrate? Since you’re feeling alright?” Jack suggested cheekily and Phryne glared at him again. 

“Maybe another time.” She was pretty certain that the simple breakfast they had eaten to settle their stomach would make a reappearance if she moved too enthusiastically. Jack looked at her fondly, letting her off the hook.

“Well, in that case, is there anything you want to do before you leave?” 

“Do I have to do anything?” She almost groaned and Jack could only agree with that sentiment. 

“A shower may be an idea,” he suggested, really only because his own body was desperately wishing for one.

“You’re really hitting these insults out of the park today, Jack,” Phryne replied dryly, but her lip was quirking up in a smile. 

“Anytime,” Jack shrugged with a suppressed grin. He really was feeling much better already. 

***

Phryne showered first, her body slowly coming back to life under the warm spray of water. She winced again as she washed herself, hoping that she’d feel less sore when she came back tomorrow. She had plans that involved Jack back between her thighs, after all.

She combed her hair and got started on her makeup while Jack took his turn in the shower. He hummed quietly to himself, a familiar melody which brought a smile to her face. Maybe he’d sing to her sometime.

Eventually, Jack stepped up behind her, a towel wrapped around his own hips, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder, careful not to nudge her arm currently drawing on her eyeliner. Bless that man and his consideration for her, even when it came to things he had no experience with.

“You’re crowding the mirror,” he smirked, the shower having done wonders for his head and Phryne lifted her hand away from her face to roll her eyes at him. 

“What do you need the mirror for anyway?” She returned.

“Admiring myself. Practicing pick-up lines. Lamenting my wrinkles.” Jack shrugged, unable to keep a serious face when Phryne started laughing, despite her attempts not to. He hoped he'd always remain able to make her laugh.

“Right now, I need it to look at the woman I love,” he continued with a grin as he met her eyes in the mirror and Phryne rolled her eyes, an equally wide grin gracing her face. 

“I love you, but you are absolutely ridiculous sometimes,” she said as she turned to kiss him.

***

A while later, they were in the hallway, Jack holding onto Phryne’s bag as she put on her shoes. It felt odd to him that Phryne was leaving as she had arrived, though at the same time it made him excited to know that when she'd return, her arrival would go completely differently than it had a few days ago.

“I’ll admit I haven’t missed these,” Phryne groaned as she slipped her heels back on, a good few inches taller when she straightened again. 

“I will never understand why women wear these things,” Jack shook his head, before stepping up to her to kiss her softly. “Though it makes kissing you easier.” 

Phryne smiled into the kiss, bringing one hand up to cup his cheek, feeling the slight stubble that indicated he hadn’t shaved since yesterday. Maybe he should grow a beard now that he wasn’t going into the office. She grinned and Jack pulled back, his eyebrow raised in question. 

“Nothing,” Phryne shook her head. She’d bring up the idea tomorrow. “Try not to miss me too much.” 

“Unlikely,” Jack replied dryly, opening the front door and stepping aside to let Phryne past him. 

“Be careful out there,” he spoke, mostly as a joke, though with the current situation his words carried some added weight, further underlined by the facemask Phryne now pulled on. 

“Of course. See you tomorrow.”

And just like that she was gone, and the house felt strangely empty. Jack shook his head at himself as he returned to the sofa. Just a week ago it had been entirely normal for him to be alone in his home, but now… now he couldn’t wait for Phryne to return. He grinned as he consoled himself with the fact that she'd be back soon before grabbing his laptop and opening his email. He hadn’t been entirely kidding when he had said he finally had time to get some work done. 

***

Phryne parked in the car park of her apartment building and texted Dot where she was. As she waited, she realized how odd it felt to be outside in the real world again. And to be away from Jack, she caught herself thinking. She had gotten used to his presence over the past week and while she had no problems being on her own, of course not, she was also looking forward to returning to his house tomorrow. 

Still, a night at her apartment would be good. She’d have to clean a bit, given that due to the pandemic she had decided not to have her cleaning service come by, but afterwards there was a bathtub and a giant bed she could have all to herself waiting for her. Even if Jack wasn't there to share the bathtub with her, something they would have to remedy at some point in the future. As she thought back on everything they _had_ done the past week, Phryne suddenly remembered an idea she had had a few days prior and she grinned as she took out her phone to place an online order, grateful that next-day-delivery existed.

Eventually, just as Phryne had started to get concerned that her mother was intentionally trying to miss her flight, the lift doors to the car park opened and out stepped Phryne's mother and Dot, both with facemasks on, something Phryne presumed she had her assistant to thank for. She pulled her own mask back on before getting out of the car.

She greeted the two women, grateful that her mother seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation, maintaining a large distance with an apologetic look on her face. 

“This isn’t really how I wanted to leave.” Her mother stated and Phryne nodded, for once wishing she could hug the woman. England was a far way away. 

“I know mum, me either. I’m sorry that things turned out like this.” As annoying as her mother could sometimes be, that statement was true.

“Not your fault, darling. Besides, your father is missing me it seems, so there’s an upside.”

“Of course.” Phryne was now glad her expression was hidden behind her mask. She had no doubts that her father was missing her mother, but he had always been excellent at forgetting that as soon as his wife was back by his side. 

“I’ve offered to take your mother to the airport,” Dot chimed in and Phryne turned to her, wide-eyed. 

“Nonsense, an Uber is perfectly fine, isn’t it mum. It’s like a cab.” Phryne added at the look of confusion on the older woman’s face. 

Her mother who rolled her eyes in a way Phryne was sure Jack would describe as entirely characteristic for herself and briefly she was sad that Jack wouldn’t meet her mother on this trip. But, even though she felt comfortable with their relationship, it was still new enough that she didn’t want her mother to influence it. As much as Phryne loved her, the older woman was one of the few people who was able to make Phryne feel insecure about herself and all of her decisions. She wanted to keep her and Jack clear of that influence, as more often than not, her mother had criticisms to issue.

“I will take that cab,” her mother stated, turning to Dot, who still looked torn. “Thank you for all your help while Phryne was indisposed, darling.”

Now Phryne rolled her eyes and looked at Dot in a way she hoped communicated her eternal gratefulness, though she’d be letting the younger woman know about it in full detail as soon as her mother was gone.

***

Shortly after, her mother safely in an Uber to the airport and Dot on her way back to her home (though not before a heartfelt thank you issued by Phryne in the car park, followed by a conversation about the state of the world and how Dot's family was doing), Phryne was back in the familiar setting of her apartment, eerily silent in a way she had never thought of it before. 

She loved her home, there was no doubt about that, and she had spent a lot of time decorating it just to her liking. And yet she found herself missing Jack’s reading chair, his shelves of old books, the lingering smell of his laundry powder and soap in the air. 

She’d get an armchair and some books for when Jack wanted to stay the night at her place Phryne decided, taking a deep breath before putting her bag down and getting to work. 

***

Later that evening Phryne sank into the warmth of her bathtub, a wine glass in one hand and her phone in the other. Her mother had called earlier to inform Phryne that she had arrived safely at the airport, putting Phryne’s mind at ease where that issue was concerned. 

While she sipped her wine, Phryne briefly talked with Mac, though her friend was on her way to a night shift and didn't have much time. Now though her calls made, Phryne found herself getting increasingly bored, and she started to wonder what she usually did to entertain herself. 

_Well, that was not an option. Neither was that. Definitely not that._

She also didn't want to contact Jack just yet, more to prove to herself that she was still capable of enjoying herself on her own than to preserve her pride. She was looking forward to talking to him later, though. 

Just as she had gotten out of the bath, deciding to do so once the water had gotten chilly, and she had dried herself off, Phryne's phone dinged, a grin planting itself on her face when she saw the text. Phryne waited until she was lying comfortably on her bed before she replied, suddenly feeling significantly less bored.

_\- "What are you wearing?"_

_\- “Nothing.”_

_\- “Cruel woman.”_

_\- “What are you wearing?”_

_\- “... also nothing.”_

_\- “Liar.”_

Jack’s name flashed across the screen immediately after she had sent the text and Phryne grinned again as she answered.

“Evening, Jack.”

“Evening yourself. How are you?” 

As they talked, Phryne was struck by how she had missed talking to Jack on the phone, a ridiculous thought, really, given how much talking, and more, they had done the past week. Though speaking of _more_ , she suddenly realized that there was now a new avenue to be explored.

“Jack, what do you think of phone sex?” The question came out of the blue as Jack had been talking about something else entirely and he was silent for a moment before laughing quietly. 

“Now?”

“Well, sometime.” 

“Why not.”

“I get the impression you have experience with this.” Phryne was surprised by his nonchalance about the matter, given that he was an intensely private man who she would have presumed had reservations about whispering dirty things in her ear over the phone.

Jack was silent for a moment and Phryne listened to his breathing, not sure what was going on inside his head. 

“Imagine me touching you, my hand sliding up your thigh, tickling your skin.” Jack’s voice was so low Phryne thought she could feel the vibrations of his throat through the phone, sending shivers over her skin. 

“You didn’t answer my question,” she half-croaked, then shook herself, talking again before Jack got a chance to reply. 

“Can you imagine me touching myself?” she breathed as seductively as she could manage. “My hand sliding over my breast, pinching my nipple? Because that’s what your voice makes me want to do.”

Phryne thought she heard Jack swallow and grinned. When it came to teasing, he would have to try harder if he wanted to outdo her. She looked forward to seeing him try, though.

“I thought you were sore.” _Hm, well that brought her back down to earth._

“I am,” Phryne sighed, rolling over onto her front. “That doesn’t mean I can’t describe what I would be doing if I wasn’t though.” Her smirk was audible and Jack chuckled. 

“Get some rest, love. I’m heading to bed soon anyway, I’m not nearly recovered from last night.” The statement was perfectly accompanied by a small yawn.

“Who’s the one getting old, again?” Phryne asked playfully even as her insides fluttered at his casual use of the term of endearment. She didn’t bother to mention that she would most likely also be falling asleep soon.

“Cheeky. Oh, by the way, what time are you getting back tomorrow? I wanted to cook something.”

“With this new information as early as possible, I should think,” Phryne spoke brightly, the idea of Jack cooking for her without her having to contribute more than a little enticing. “Actually though, I probably won’t be back until the afternoon. I’m expecting a delivery and I have to finish off some food in the fridge.”

“A delivery?”

“A delivery,” Phryne confirmed with a slight smile, unwilling to give up any more information. 

“Alright, dinner it is then,” Jack went on, whatever else he wanted to say cut off by another yawn. 

“Get to bed, old man,” Phryne teased lovingly, stifling her own yawn. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“If I haven’t passed away of old age by then, you mean.” Jack replied dryly before yawning again, unable to stop now that he’d started. “Night, Phryne. Sleep well.” 

“Goodnight, Jack.”

***

Jack woke up early the next day, as was his habit, briefly wondering if he had imagined the past week as he turned to look over at the empty other half of his bed. It was crazy how quickly one could get used to having someone else in the bed, he thought, as he leaned over, burying his face in Phryne’s pillow, a smile spreading across his face. No, he most definitely had not imagined anything. 

She had not even been gone 24 hours and yet he missed her, her bright spirit, her laughter, her soft body against his, her lips on his. Jack shook his head at himself and his musings, letting go of her pillow to reach for his phone. After sending her a good morning text, that he knew she wouldn't read for a few more hours, he contemplated what to do. 

Coffee and work were one alternative. Sleep was another. And then, in an entirely uncharacteristic move, Jack chose to lie back down, letting himself drift back to sleep, Phryne's scent surrounding him.

***

Phryne slept surprisingly well, waking up late in the morning. She smiled in contentment, stretching across the bed and burying her face in her pillow. It was undeniably nice to have the bed to herself, but the longer the lay there, dozing between sleep and consciousness, the more she found herself wishing that she could just turn over and encounter Jack’s warm body.

He’d of course already be awake at this hour and pull her into his arms, so she could bury her nose in his neck with his arm wrapped around her as she kept dozing, his steady breathing by his side.

Phryne sighed, the fact that she had the bed to herself suddenly having lost most of its appeal and reached out for her phone, smiling when she saw a text from Jack simply wishing her good morning. She replied to the message and then turned her eyes to her dresser and closet, a grin playing around her lips.

Packing was going to be fun.

***

She rang Jack’s doorbell late that afternoon, a suitcase by her side. She was genuinely excited to be back, wanted to kiss him, touch him, yes, but also just wanted to have his presence around her. But she also had plans.

Phryne had considered her outfit for a long time that morning. She was wearing heels again, red ones this time, just shy of being too sexy given the time of day and the fact that she was standing in front of a man’s door with a suitcase in hand. Her look was completed by a fashionable black summer trench coat, coming down to her knees, and nude stockings. Really, she could be wearing a decently long skirt underneath the coat. Could, being the operative word. 

She grinned as the door swung open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter without smut 😱 but I did feel like they needed a break. 
> 
> Also, the Meat Loaf reference from a Essie/Nathan video clip from PS Film Festival has been at the back of my mind since January.... and FINALLY an opportunity presented itself, so I took it. Or maybe I created it. Anyway, it's there. 😂
> 
> Now onto the last chapter!  
> (Maybe. Because actually, I could be convinced to write a bonus chapter involving phone sex since I robbed you of it in this chapter.)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pro tip: Don't watch a movie that will depress you for like a week and kill any motivation to do anything. Although, to be fair, I think part of me just didn't want to be done with this story 😂 
> 
> ANYWAY. Here it is.

“Hello, Jack.”

Phryne couldn’t help but smile at the way his face lit up as he saw her. It was subtle, as most of his expressions were, but it was there. She wasn’t sure when he had started looking at her like that, greeting her at crime scenes with an expression of joy, rather than exasperation, but she had appreciated the change. And she very much appreciated the way he was looking at her now.

“Welcome back,” Jack stepped aside with a grin to let her into the house and Phryne greeted him with a peck to the lips as she walked past him. Oh, but how the circumstances had changed from the last time she’d found herself on his doorstep.

Jack closed the door as she set her bag down, waiting until she turned before he reached out his arms to pull her close and greet her more fully. Phryne sighed into his mouth as her hands travelled up his arms and shoulders until they settled on the back of his neck, caressing the short hairs at his nape while their lips chastely met.

“I like this coat,” Jack spoke in between soft kisses and Phryne caught herself before she could grin and give away that there was more to it. Oh, he really had no idea. She kissed him again, sweeping her tongue past his in welcome, smiling when Jack’s hands tightened.

“Would you like a drink?” he murmured as he pulled back a little, needing space from her lest he have her right there in the hallway, which was a bit less romantic than he would like. Not that Phryne would mind getting shagged against the coat rack, he didn't think, at least. 

Phryne smiled knowingly at him, her hands busily stroking his shoulders as her arousal built just by his presence and hands on her waist, his slightly crooked smile as he looked at her. Well that, and the knowledge of what she was wearing underneath the coat.

“I’d love one,” she smiled, smoothing her thumb over Jack's lip to remove the smudges her lipstick had left before releasing her hold on him.

“Whisky?”

“Hmm,” Phryne hummed noncommittally as she followed him into the kitchen, her heels clacking on the hardwood floor.

***

Jack stood with his back to her as he retrieved glasses and poured them both a finger of whisky. He wondered why she was still wearing the coat and heels, but appreciated the look, plus her wearing the heels really did provide the perfect height for kissing her, something which he intended to do a lot more of before the day was over. It really was nice to have her back. Jack honestly couldn’t think of anything he liked better than her body against his, whether it was for cuddling, or reading, or sleeping. Or sex, of course. Jack smiled to himself as he picked up their glasses and spun around, intending to toast to Phryne having returned, but all words got stuck in his throat as he froze.

He almost dropped the glasses, all coherent thought leaving his brain as he looked at Phryne, who had removed her coat. Jack shakily set the glasses down on the counter without looking as his eyes swept over Phryne, trying to commit every detail to memory.

It really was just that she had caught him off guard that had him absolutely speechless, he later tried to convince himself, not the fact that she was standing in his kitchen, naked save for her heels, stockings, and some of the most daring lingerie he’d ever laid eyes on.

There were black satiny bands traveling underneath the soft swell of her breasts, wrapping around her waist and baring triangles of skin, her breasts covered by lace that did absolutely nothing to obscure her nipples, clearly visible underneath the fabric. Further down her garter belt perfectly framed her mound, also covered by the merest nothing of lace, leaving everything on display.

Red accents around the non-effective bra and stocking clasps tied the outfit in with the color of her heels, Jack noted dimly, as his gaze followed the straps of her stockings up her creamy thighs before he raised his eyes back to hers, looking at her incredulously as he shook his head to formulate words. Phyrne of course was looking immensely pleased with his reaction.

“Phryne.”

“Yes, Jack?”

“Are you feeling better?”

“What do you think, Detective Inspector?”

Jack was halfway across the room before she had finished speaking, his hands wrapping around Phryne as he lifted her off the ground so he could carry her across the room until her back hit the coolness of the wall behind her.

He kissed her savagely, his tongue sweeping through her mouth until her knees grew weak and Phryne almost wished she wasn’t wearing the heels. But she had plans for the heels and she returned his kiss with just as much ferocity, threading her fingers through his hair to hold his head in place. While the time apart had been bearable, of course, this, together, was undeniably better and Phryne let herself get lost in Jack’s familiar and reassuring touch.

“Are you trying to kill me?” he muttered as he broke contact just briefly, his hands sweeping up her sides, as he tried to work out how to release her from the contraption she was currently wearing. Her nipples strained against the see-through lace and Jack groaned, leaning forward until the hard peaks brushed his chest before he decided to forgo the issue of getting her out of the lingerie and simply pulled down on the fabric until her aching breasts spilled out over the lace. Jack immediately bent his head, taking her bare nipple into his mouth and Phryne gasped, arching to push her breast more firmly into his mouth, wanting more of him against her, pressing her against the wall.

The pulsing sensation between her legs was steadily growing, enhanced by the pressure of Jack’s cock pressing right where she needed him. Phryne tugged on his hair, a little more roughly than was perhaps necessary, dragging his mouth back up to hers, kissing him deeply before pointedly biting at his lip.

“I left the heels on for a reason,” she gasped out, the words muffled by Jack's lips.

“Not just because they make you look hot?”

Phryne bit at his lip again for his cheek. “No. Well, maybe. But also because this height,” she paused to roll her pelvis against his, tearing a desperate sound from them both. “Is perfect for what I want.”

“And what it is that you want?” Jack growled, his hand now moving to cup her ass, his fingers almost getting caught in the bands that spanned her waist.

“Take me to the bathroom,” Phryne grinned into his mouth and Jack stilled briefly, wondering what she wanted to do in the bathroom while also reluctant to walk the few steps to get there, given his current state.

“Why?”

“Mirror.”

Jack almost stumbled over his own feet as he picked her up and headed down the hall, Phryne’s bright laughter in his ear.

***

As soon as Jack had carefully deposited her on the ground again, Phryne found herself spun around, her hands coming out to brace herself against the sink. She looked into the mirror, her eyes slightly unfocused, and met Jack’s hungry gaze before her eyes moved to his hands sliding down her chest to her exposed breasts and down her belly until he reached the lace of her panties.

“Is this what you want? Watching me touch you?” He asked darkly, his mouth at her ear while he was watching her reaction in the mirror, and Phryne met his eyes again and grinned, letting out a soft moan when Jack’s fingers travelled down the outside of the lace above her mound, her legs spreading for him without second thought.

He smirked, and damn her if that didn’t turn her on more, as his fingers tapped against her clit to feel her writhe against him before sliding further down, the thin fabric already soaked through, his fingers coming away wet.

Jack wondered if simply wearing the lingerie with him in mind had aroused her. If she’d been aroused while putting it on, if she had been wet in her car on her way to him, as she stood before his door.... He growled, suddenly impatient, and dragged his hands back to her hips, pulling her ass back against him, his cock needy and straining against his trousers. Phryne’s heels worked as she had no doubt intended, their pelvises aligned perfectly with Jack pressing right against her without having to bend his knees. The realization sent another rush of arousal through him. He tugged her panties down her legs, groaning when Phryne’s buttocks brushed back and forth over his erection as she stepped out of the scrap of lace, before spreading her legs for him again in invitation.

It was almost sinful how good she looked this way, with the bands of the lingerie crossing her back, her ass framed by the garter belt, her legs impossibly long and impossibly toned, all emphasized by her heels. 

Phryne was watching Jack closely, pleased at the expression on his face as his eyes darted over her backside. She swayed from side to side, wriggling her ass enticingly and Jack groaned in agony, only meeting her eyes again for a second, before hurriedly shoving off his trousers after he had grabbed a condom from his pocket.Then, he was pressed up against her again, his cock a hard line between her buttocks, his fingers digging into her hips as he met her eyes in the mirror again, the expression on his face so intense that she felt her breath catch.

At her reaction, the look of urgency on Jack’s face was suddenly replaced by one of almost unbearable tenderness as he slowed the movements of his hips, his hold on her hips loosening as he ran his hands down and back up her thighs and waist, igniting sparks wherever his fingers travelled.

“This was a good idea,” he murmured as he squeezed her nipple, still popping out over the lace border of the lingerie.

“Which part of it?” Phryne asked as she arched her back, pushing her breast into his hand and her ass into his groin, increasingly desperate to have him inside of her, wanting to come around him.

“A.., _oh god_... all of it. The lingerie, the mirror, the heels.”

He moved back slightly, only enough to let his cock slip between her thighs, her moisture coating him.

“Hnghh, damn it,” Jack groaned as he lightly bit down on Phryne’s shoulder and she gasped out a laugh.

“ _Now_ , Jack.”

One tilt of her pelvis and some maneuvering, and Jack slid smoothly inside of her, filling her in the way she’d missed the past two days. Jack was mouthing along her shoulder, whispering words of adoration in her ear and Phryne felt herself shudder as she jerked her hips back to drive him deeper.

“Hm, good,” she panted, steadying herself against the sink while Jack’s fingers were digging into her skin, holding her still and pulling her slightly against him in time with his thrusts, slow and deep.

“So fucking good,” Jack groaned and Phryne clenched around him as his low voice vibrated in her ear.

“I’ve missed you,” he nuzzled her ear as he spoke, his lips then trailing down her neck, his nose trailing along her hairline, his eyes on hers in the mirror the entire time.

“Have you?” The words came out more as a whimper as one of Jack’s hands slipped between her thighs, caressing the underside of his shaft before settling on her wet flesh.

“I missed all of you, this, but also the way your skin smells in the morning, the feeling of your body curled up to mine, your head on my chest,” Jack was whispering in her ear, his words no doubt meant to arouse her, which they did, but they also ignited something more, something deeper inside of her that had been a steady thrum inside of her chest since Jack had opened the door only a few minutes earlier.

“Jack,” Phryne moaned, one hand reaching back to grasp his head as she turned hers, searching for his mouth. He met her readily, his tongue tangling with hers as his fingers on her clit sped up.

Phryne broke away to gasp for air as he started thrusting faster, in time with his ministrations, and she threw one hand back to grasp his thigh as she felt herself begin to climb.

Jack nuzzled his nose in her hair as he watched the flush creep onto her skin, covering her chest and neck in red splotches as her torso heaved with her breaths. He rarely so clearly got to see her arousal take her over and he felt his own orgasm fisting at the base of his cock as he looked at her, her head thrown back against his shoulder and her eyes closed. He watched, transfixed, as one of his hands slid back up her belly, tracing the spots of red on her skin until he reached her nipple, pinching the small nub between his fingers.

Phryne’s eyes flew open, her gaze fixing itself on the image they made in the mirror and she came apart on a moan, held upright by Jack’s hands on her breast and between her legs as her knees threatened to buckle.

Jack buried his face in her neck as she shook and trembled around him, her hips jumping against his until he moved his hand on her breast to grab her waist, holding her still. He wanted to last a while longer, maybe see her come again before he himself shattered....

“Look at me Jack,” Phryne gasped and he dragged his head up from her neck, blurry eyes meeting hers in the mirror. Phryne smiled at him, her skin glowing and flushed from her orgasm, and then she trailed one of her hands up the front of her body, grasping her breast and pinching her nipple, just like he had done, her other hand sliding down to cover his between her legs, lighting scraping her nails against his skin.

Jack let out a strangled moan and then she felt his hips jerking against her, his eyes on hers until he had to shut them as he shuddered though his own earth-shattering climax.

***

Phryne lightly stroked her fingers back and forth over the back of Jack’s hand as he recovered, smiling as she watched him catch his breath, his forehead pressed against her shoulder.

Eventually, he slipped from her and after giving him a naughty smirk when he met her eyes in the mirror, Phryne turned around, leaning back against the sink as she drew him closer, kissing him softly.

“That was a lovely welcome back,” she spoke against his lips and Jack smiled.

“You’re the one instigated it, with... this,” he swept his hands down her sides and Phryne snuggled herself closer to his chest.

“Hmmm, I could leave it on, if you’d like. But the heels are starting to get a bit uncomfortable.”

Phryne squealed when Jack picked her up and set her on the sink, holding her securely with one arm, while the other swept down her stockinged leg to push her heel off. She wriggled her toes as they were freed and Jack smiled.

“Better?”

“Much.” She kissed him again until he was panting, looking at her lustfully.

“Should I leave the rest on, or...”

“Is it comfortable?”

“Well, the stockings are, the top pinches a bit, I’ll admit.”

“Let’s take it off then,” Jack suggested, nipping at her bottom lip before grabbing her legs to wrap them more firmly around his hips and lifting her, marching them through to the bedroom.

***

A short while later Phryne laid on top of Jack’s chest, her limbs loose and warm, her skin tingling as his hands gently stroked up and down her back. The lingerie was gone, save for the stockings and the garter belt, and Phryne enjoyed the sensation of Jack’s fingers trailing down her spine, running across the lines of her shoulder blades and traveling along the border of the lace around her waist. 

As the sweat on their bodies slowly cooled, she turned her head so her forehead was pressed to his neck and she inhaled deeply. This was the scent she had been missing as she had woken up that morning.

“How was your day?” Jack finally asked after a few minutes and almost regretted it as Phryne shifted on his chest, sliding slightly off to the side so she could look at him.

“Somewhat boring, honestly, I finished off some food left in the fridge, I packed, I got my...” Suddenly she perked up, remembering the delivery.

“I have a present for you,” she grinned at him and Jack raised an eyebrow, amused how she had gone from cuddly to adorably mischievous in a matter of seconds.

“Should I be scared?”

“Nonsense, it’s... well I hope you like it.” She suddenly seemed unsure of herself and Jack playfully snapped the strap of her garter belt against her thigh. “Ow!” 

“I’m sure I’ll like it,” he reassured her, happy (and if he was honest, slightly surprised), that she’d get him a present in the first place.

“Alright, well, wait here.” With that, Phryne had bounced off of the bed, leaving Jack stifling a groan as he watched her cross his room, naked, save for the stockings and garter belt. He was thankful that while she had been gone he actually had gotten a lot of work done, which left at least the next day completely free of anything but her, wrapped around him.

Phryne came back a minute later, hiding something behind her back, though Jack was distracted by her breasts moving as she walked over to him.

“Jack, would you focus please,” she laughed and Jack guiltily raised his eyes back to hers.

“Sorry, you happen to be very distracting.”

“Close your eyes for a moment, then.”

Jack grumbled but complied, opening his eyes again when she told him to, disappointed when he saw that she had pulled on a new one of his shirts.

“Aw....”

“Present, Jack,” Phryne reminded him, and Jack patted the bed beside him in invitation for her to sit down.

He wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe something that went with Mac’s gift basket, whether that be some sort of sex toy or book, or lingerie. Or maybe a piece of clothing she wanted him to wear, like that Marc Antony costume he had managed to avoid getting into. What he had not expected, however, was the giant box, that Phryne Fisher now pulled out from behind her back.

“It’s... I thought you might like it,” Phryne went on. “For a quarantine activity, who knows how long this will last, and...”

“You got me a puzzle?” Jack asked with a smile as he picked up the box. Though leave it to her to outdo any puzzle he’d ever seen. The box in front of him was giant, with a big 48000 written on the side.

“With 48.000 pieces?”

Phryne blushed slightly, though she was relieved that Jack's reaction seemed to be 'pleasantly surprised'.

“Well, again, who knows how long this will all last...”

“I didn’t even know they made puzzles this big.”

Phryne laughed, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. “Do you like it? Or do you think it’s silly? You obviously don’t have to keep it if you don’t want, I just thought you might like it...”

She trailed off as Jack took her hands in his, pulling her closer to kiss her.

“I love it, and I love that you thought of me. I’m just a bit surprised that you gave me such a tame gift, you... wait a minute, you don’t even like doing puzzles.” He eyed her critically, realizing that he had automatically assumed that she would be doing the puzzle with him. 

“But you do. And I love watching you do things you like.”

“Hmmm, but I like doing things with you,” Jack countered, setting the box aside to pull her across his lap.

“I mean, I'm sure I could be convinced to join every now and then.... oooh we could do another competition!” Phryne perked up and Jack shook his head, smiling.“Or you, know, we’ll save it for when we’re both retired, because lord knows I’ll need something to do then. Besides you.”

Jack sucked in a breath as her words registered in his brain. He felt Phryne still against him as she too realized what she had said, or suggested, rather.

“Um, I mean...”

Jack interrupted her with a kiss, relieved when he felt her relax against him, reassured by his reaction.

“Somehow I can’t imagine you ever retiring, Miss Fisher,” he teased and Phryne grinned.

“I suppose not. But I will find some time to work on the puzzle with you anyway.”

***

Jack suggested a picnic in the garden, and had in fact planned for it, Phryne's eyes lighting up when he had opened the fridge to reveal sandwiches and other picnic worthy foods. They ate half-dressed, spread out on a picnic blanket, as they enjoyed the last rays of sunlight, the air still warm from the autumn sun.

Now, the food was almost all gone and the night was cool, the only sounds some birds and the distant sound of cars. Jack and Phryne were lying next to each other, their fingers touching as they gazed into the clear night sky, the occasional satellite or plane crossing through the otherwise still image the stars presented.

“It’s crazy to think that it’s ever-expanding, isn’t it?” Jack spoke quietly, reaching out his hand to grasp her fingers in his.

“The universe?” Phryne asked and watched Jack nod out of the corner of her eye.

“It all looks very still to me,” she stated. To be honest, she didn’t care much if the universe expanded or not, as long Jack stayed as close to her as he was now. Well, maybe even closer.

“That’s because you’re not a telescope.”

Phryne was silent for a moment, then snorted. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she laughed, turning her head to look at him.

“More like a romantic overture.” He smirked and she smiled, disentangling her hand from his so she could move closer to him, snuggling against his side, her head cradled in the crook of his arm.

“I know for a fact that that is not the best that you can do.”

“Hmmm,” he conceded the point. “Would you like me to improve on it?”

“More than anything,” she whispered and then squealed when Jack tugged her on top of him, the rough action almost paradoxical to the way his lips then found hers, tender and warm and irresistible. Phryne hummed happily into the kiss, sighing into Jack’s mouth when his arms tightened around her.

She ran her tongue along his upper lip, dipping into his philtrum before latching back onto his lip, sipping at it in tender exploration until Jack captured her lips fully, moaning softly into her mouth as he sucked at her tongue. Their kiss softened again, a sweet meeting of lips until finally, Phryne drew back to drop small kisses all over Jack’s face until he chuckled.

“Now _that_ was a proper romantic overture,” Phryne murmured as she pushed herself up slightly and gazed down at the man she loved; who loved _her_ and who looked at her like she was the ever expanding universe; his universe.

She shook her head and giggled at the notion, burying her face in his neck where she felt his pulse steadily thrumming underneath his skin. _Hers._ If Jack was wondering what she was laughing about, he didn’t question it, sneaking one hand beneath her shirt to caress the bare skin of her hips.

“Jack... have you ever made love under the stars?”

He hadn’t, but he was definitely thinking about it now.“I have a feeling my answer to that will soon be yes.”

“Well... unless you have any objections,” Phryne spoke, starting to press soft kisses against the underside of his jaw.

His hands on her tightened reflexively when she slid her legs down to either side of his hips, her bare center a tantalizing heat over his cock. Objections were about the furthest thing from Jack’s mind.

“No objections,” he murmured, kissing her again. “But remember to stay quiet.”

“You too,” she returned as she rolled her hips experimentally, smiling when he stifled a groan as she felt him hard and ready beneath her.

“I love that you want me.”

Jack considered her for a moment. “I want you, all of you. And,” he kept on speaking. “I have it on good authority that you want me, too,” he let his fingers dip between her legs, encountering only wetness.

“Aren’t we lucky,” Phryne half-moaned, grinding back against his fingers as she kissed him again, the touch still loving and sweet, given what his hands were doing below.

“That we are. How do you want it?”

Phryne stilled for a moment, before pulling back and looking at him appreciatively.“I love it when you talk like that,” she whispered, capturing his lips in a kiss that was now significantly more heated and Jack smirked.

“Like this,” Phryne continued as she sat up, pulling him with her until they were upright, their chests pressed against each other. She wrapped her legs around his hips, crossing her ankles behind him and then pushed at Jack’s legs. He harrumphed into her mouth, but wrapped an arm around her waist, lifting her easily against his chest so he could shift his legs until he sat almost cross-legged, widening his thighs to create a space for her ass to rest in, before letting her slide back down.

Phryne moaned softly at his forward handling of her, thrusting her tongue into his mouth when their mouths were level again, her hips rolling forward to press her clit against Jack’s throbbing erection. Staying quiet would really become difficult, Jack realized, as he suppressed another groan, his arm still wrapped tightly around her.

“Close.” The word was muffled against his lips but Jack had heard Phryne, nodding his agreement as he fumbled with his trousers.

Phryne reluctantly moved back, but only slightly, giving him the bare minimum amount of room to move and as soon as he was ready, she was pressed against him again, her dripping core over him, on top of him, and then around him as she sank down onto his length. They both sighed in relief as they were joined, and Phryne nipped playfully at Jack’s lip.

“I was thinking...”

“Yes?” Jack gasped when she ground down, his head dropping against her shoulder.

“About how to deal with... living arrangements, moving forward.”

“You want to talk about this now??” Jack groaned on a particularly good twist of Phryne’s hips, his mouth opening against the soft skin of her neck, softly biting down on her flesh.

“ _Fuck_ , Jack.” Phryne moaned and moved harder against him for a few moments before somewhat regaining control.

“Just really quick,” she promised.

The truth was, it was much easier for her to talk about the serious topics regarding their relationship in these moments, where words passed her lips easily without her overthinking matters. 

“I want to wake up next to you as often as possible,” she spoke hurriedly. “But I don’t want to give up my apartment for the time being.”

“I'm fine with that,” Jack gasped, trying to focus on what she was saying. He honestly had not thought much about what their living arrangements would look like, trusting that they’d come to some sort of mutually satisfactory agreement.

“You are?” Phryne internally scolded herself for being surprised. She had been scared that Jack wanted to move in together right away, which... she wasn’t all together opposed to the moving in together, but she wanted to do it on her own terms, without rushing things.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I don’t care where we are.” Jack raised his head to kiss her and moved his hips slightly, making Phryne whimper against him.

“Me... _oh_ , me either." She hadn't missed the way he'd said 'we'. They were a 'we'. "I’ll give you a key for my apartment, and maybe... _yes, don’t stop_ , maybe you can keep some of your clothes there.”

Speaking of romantic overtures, that statement, coming from Phryne Fisher, just about topped anything Jack had ever heard. He shook his head in disbelief before kissing her again, pouring all of his emotions into the kiss.

“Is that a yes?” Phryne asked gleefully, pulsing lightly, torturously against him and Jack nodded jerkily.

“An emphatic yes. And as it happens, I have a spare key just waiting for a new owner.”

Phryne’s eyes sparkled at his words and then she lunged forward, their kiss so messy their teeth clashed and they almost toppled over, breaking apart because they had to breathe.

“That’s settled then.” Phryne spoke on a moan as Jack tilted his hips just so, pressing against her inner walls. She couldn’t believe bringing up this topic had ever caused her anxiety. Of course she and Jack would be able to get on the same page about it, as they did about all... alright, _most_ , other things.

“Can we stop talking now?” Jack groaned quietly and Phryne nodded as she rolled her hips, not moving far along his length but feeling him press hard into her nevertheless, her clit pushing against him with every roll of her hips, her flesh swollen and aching from arousal.

She felt the tension inside of her steadily build as she rocked against him like this, the connection between them all encompassing, keeping her safe yet letting her be free.

Her fingers on Jack’s shoulders turned into claws as she began to shake around him, knowing he’d be there to catch her. She searched for his lips as she started to tumble, shuddering and trembling in his arms, her low moan muffled by his mouth. And when Jack jerked against her, overcome, Phryne swallowed his moan in return, her arms wrapped tightly around him.

It might have taken them a long time to get to this point, but now they were all the stronger for it. And whatever this pandemic brought, they'd face it. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me why I got hung up on Phrack and puzzles.
> 
> Thank you SO, SO much to everyone following along and commenting, it truly made my quarantine very special and I deeply appreciate all the support. I didn't intend for this story to take so long but anyway, at least it gave something fun to do!
> 
> Real life has started again but I will try to post the bonus phone sex chapter before next weekend... I really will try. 
> 
> So, I hope you're all doing well and that some of you are able to get out of quarantine by now. And to all of those still heavily impacted by lockdowns/ spikes in cases, hugs to you and your loved ones 💕


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Finally! After months! It's done! And I truly couldn't have done it without all of you. 💕
> 
> A shorter chapter, but it was always intended to just be an addendum to wrap things up (or not..). But for real, there won't be any more chapters to this specific fic, at least. Maybe follow-ups at some point, depending on demand and how the pandemic develops.

Jack and her had adjusted well over the months, Phryne thought.

Shortly after their self-quarantine had ended, Melbourne, along with the rest of the world, had gone into official lockdown and Jack and her become a unit, of sorts, spending nights at his house and her apartment but always traveling together as they didn't want to have to quarantine from each other, the idea even more unappealing since they couldn't replace the void with meeting friends.

Which wasn’t to say that they were sitting on top of each other the entire time, although there was plenty of that as well. Jack worked remotely during the lockdown, seeing as his rank allowed him to stay home for most things, but it also meant that he was busy most of the day. Backlog from the lockdown was now unloading all at once. A giant mountain of work and not enough people to tackle it, as Jack had put it.

They made sure to eat most meals together and set aside time for walks and other activities besides work and sex. And many an evening had been spent with long conversations and discussions, and they were constantly learning more about each other, growing and evolving as a couple as they learned each other's preferences, histories, desires, dreams. It could have felt smothering, but it was quite the opposite. It was quite a special thing to trust someone so intimately and know that they would keep the knowledge they gained safe.

Phryne, for her part, had put her investigations on hold for the time being, spending her time trying to figure out how to help those affected by the lockdowns, coordinating several fundraisers with Aunt Prudence. She still hadn't been able to see her aunt in person, just like they had avoided seeing Jack's parents again, due to them being in a risk group. Zoom became their best friend when keeping in touch with friends and relatives and Phryne talked to her parents regularly, who seemed to be doing alright and, to her surprise but great relief, seemingly were responsible with staying inside and not meeting up with friends.

And then, finally, restrictions slowly eased up.

***

Phryne smiled as she shut the door behind Mac. After not being able to see each other in person for several months, it was wonderful to be able to meet up with her best friend again, and they had taken advantage of that a few times over the last couple of weeks. As usual they had watched a movie and shared wine, and just briefly , as always during these movie nights, everything had felt normal again, besides the fact that they stayed a large distance apart and Mac had brought her own wine.

It was now 11pm on a Friday night. Pre-pandemic Phryne would have just started her night in some club or bar, looking for entertainment and human connection. Now, though....Her smile grew as she walked back into the living room and grabbed her phone from a small side-table, happy to see a text from Jack.

_\- “Having a good time?”_

\- _“As always when Mac is here.”_

For the past couple of days, they had stayed at their separate residences so Phryne could meet with Mac and coordinate some things downtown, and she was already longing for Jack’s presence next to her again. The past week Jack had always been too tired for amorous activities when he had collapsed into bed late at night, something that Phryne couldn't fault him for. She had cuddled up next to him and enjoyed the few hours that were theirs alone, even if they were just sleeping during them. And yet, a week was a long time. 

Phryne suddenly remembered a conversation they had had months ago and smirked, pressing Jack’s name and raising the phone to her ear as she headed to her bedroom.

“I’m surprised you’re still awake, Jack!" She teased him when he picked up. "How was work?”

“Same old. Which is also why I’m still awake.” Jack groaned. _But oh, it was nice to hear his voice._

“Are you at the office or....” Phryne trailed off, unable to keep her pitch from rising.

“Home, I actually got back a while ago and was planning on sleeping, but something came up.” He paused. “Why do you ask?”

“Hmmm,” Phryne made a soft and needy noise, hoping to convey what she was after. She knew he was tired and she would respect if he wasn’t in the mood to indulge her, but she was sure as hell going to try.

Jack recognized the sound immediately and felt some of the exhaustion drain from his body as he grew more alert. It had been a few days, too many days, since she had been in his arms for anything but strictly sleeping. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her. He wanted her, all the time, but the past week had been too demanding for him to follow through on his desires.

Maybe it was the fact that he wouldn’t have to physically exert himself to give her pleasure, or just his repressed desire for her that was now bursting forth, but Jack felt familiar arousal starting to course through him. He wondered...

“What are you wearing?”

Phryne laughed at his most clichée start to what they were about to do, but was incredibly pleased that Jack seemed to be up for it.

“Whatever you want me to be wearing.”

“Hm, and if I want you naked?”

“That could be arranged, Inspector.”

***

Jack could hear Phryne’s voice traveling farther from the phone and heard rustling of fabric, leaving him with only his imagination and Phryne's commentary. And his memory, of course, since he had seen her naked body more times than he could count now, and still found her as alluring and breathtakingly beautiful as the first time. He dropped one of his hands to his belt, undoing his trousers and reaching inside to lightly stroke himself, slowly building his arousal as Phryne described each piece of clothing she was taking off until she finally got to her underwear.

“Alright, Jack, I am as naked as the day I was born.”

“Excellent.” He hesitated briefly, not quite certain what she wanted out of this. Well, he knew what she wanted out of it, but what he didn’t know was what role she wanted him to play. However, Phryne had always seemed to like it when he took charge. And since she wasn’t here to see him blush, Jack swallowed his nerves and closed his eyes, as he tried to envision her.

“Are you lying down?”

A brief silence. “Now I am.”

“Okay, put me on speaker.”

“Why?”

“You’ll need both of your hands.”

Phryne shivered at Jack’s instructions and complied, smiling when she heard a rustle of clothing on Jack’s end.

“What are you wearing, by the way, Jack?”

“Less and less if you keep talking.”

“Now _that_ is an enticing prospect,” Phryne grinned.“So if I told you how wet I already am, all for you, would you undress further? I’ve been thinking about your hands on me for days Jack, and now it’s just me touching myself but, oh...” she gasped as she slipped a finger between her legs. “I am imagining it was you, wishing it were you.”

Jack let out some sort of choked growl that sent a renewed pulse of arousal through Phryne as she remembered how it felt when his ribcage vibrated against her, his arousal becoming her own as they moved together, perfectly in tune. His voice through the phone had a remarkably similar effect on her though. 

“Well, you've succeeded in getting me out of my trousers, Miss Fisher,” Jack remarked, wishing more than anything that he had decided to stay the night at her place instead of sleeping at his house. He was almost fully hard now, stroking himself slowly as he imagined Phryne sprawled out on her bed.

“I _am_ very good at getting you out of your clothes, Jack." A short pause. "Are you touching yourself?” 

“Just like you are.”

“And how would you know?” Phryne’s voice was amused.

“I have spent months learning your every reaction and sound, Miss Fisher.” Jack reminded her. “I know the way you gasp when I touch your clit for the first time, the way your breathing speeds up as I keep stroking you, how your moans change as your arousal grows."

Phryne said nothing, breathing heavily instead.

“Just by your sounds I can tell when you’re close, when you need more. The only thing I can’t do now is feel you, the way you shiver and tense underneath me, how you arch into my touch when I squeeze your nipple, how you get goosebumps all over when I kiss my way down your neck.”

Speaking of sounds, her whimpers were getting more frequent and Jack squeezed the base of his cock to calm his own arousal, which was building quickly as he described her in her most passionate moments and vividly saw her in his mind's eye.

“Would you like me to keep talking?” He smiled, surprised how confident he felt in doing this over the phone.

“Y... Yes.”

“Then slow down a bit, Phryne,” he tried an instruction, sensing that she was close (something he noted with no small amount of pride) and not wanting it to be over.

“Hnnghh, Jaaaaaack.”

“Please. Squeeze your breast with one hand and stroke yourself with the other, but slowly.”

Jack heard Phryne's huff of frustration but her breathing calmed again and so he continued.

“One of my favorite things is the way your legs clench around my hand when I have my fingers deep inside of you.”

At this, Phryne whimpered slightly and Jack understood. Her fingers couldn’t reach where his did.

“Imagine it’s my fingers, sliding inside, imagine me crooking them to press up against you, yes there,” he groaned when he heard Phryne moan.

“Oh, please, Jack,” she ground out, her moans growing in pitch again and Jack clenched his jaw as he realized that she was allowing him to set the pace.

He was close himself and even though he had wanted to draw this session out more, he wanted nothing more than to surrender himself to the pleasure in this moment, and his grip on his cock tightening as his strokes sped up.

“But most of all that look in your eyes when you come, Phryne, almost like you’re shocked that it’s happening, it pulls me over the edge every time. Your breath hitches and your chest flushes and your eyes widen and...”

He paused, at a loss for words as he felt his balls begin to tingle, and then he heard the hitch in her breath he had been talking about and allowed himself to let go, groaning as he heard Phryne’s moans. A week was a long time, after all.

There was silence for a long moment and Jack took in the display he made at his kitchen table while he slowly came back to himself, shaking his head at his trousers around his ankles and the mess on his stomach and hand.

“Phryne?”

“Hmmmm,” she hummed happily and Jack found himself overcome with fondness. “Are you alright?”

“Of course, that was amazing, Jack. Did you...?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. Yes, I did.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t contribute anything to the conversation, you were just doing too well,” she chuckled. “I had a whole plan, knowing how much you like my red lips wrapped around your cock, my tongue teasing you until you can’t hold back any longer and I drink you down. Unless of course you'd prefer to come on me, marking my chest with yourself."

Jack suppressed a groan, her words having a predictable impact on his mind, even if his body was wrought out for the time being.

“Why did I decide to sleep here tonight, again?” He complained, more to himself than to her, and Phryne giggled, still slightly drowsy.

“I don’t know, there’s a large bed here with a naked me in it,” she smiled and Jack suddenly realized that he was torturing himself for no good reason. Or none that he cared for, anyway.

“I’m coming over,” he stated, already pulling his trousers back on.

“Jack, are you sure?” Phryne sounded hesitant. “It’s late, you’re tired, and it is a bit of a drive.”

“Yes, I’m sure. Unless... you’d rather sleep alone.” He added, realizing that he hadn’t asked her, though over the past few months they had both seemed to enjoy every minute together.

“Silly man, of course I want you here. Just... be careful. And I might be asleep when you get here, just let yourself in.” The statement was punctuated by a yawn and only confirmed for Jack how much he wanted Phryne in his arms that night.

***

Phryne was just dozing into dreamland when she heard the front door open. She smiled, keeping her eyes closed, and snuggled further into the blankets she had managed to get her naked self under.Jack snuck into the room on quiet feet, being careful not to turn on a light or make noise. Phryne heard him stripping and then the mattress dipped underneath his weight as he crawled underneath the blanket.

“Hello, Jack,” she murmured and felt him still.

“You’re awake,” he realized, his voice affectionate as he scooted closer, taking the liberty of drawing her into his arms, now that he knew she wasn’t sleeping yet. Phryne went willingly, settling her head in the crook of his arm that had become her favored spot over the course of the past months.

“Not for much longer,” she returned and felt him chuckle. “I’m glad you’re here,” she added before a yawn overtook her and she stopped talking. Jack kissed her hair in reply before settling into the pillows and letting his eyes drift shut.

***

When Phryne woke up the next morning, Jack was already sitting in the kitchen, coffee brewed and laptop in front of him. He looked at her apologetically.

“I promise this won’t be the entire day, I should have the afternoon free.”

Phryne waved her hand, walking over to him and stroking a hand over his shoulder as she kissed his temple.

“Use my kitchen as your office anytime, Inspector,” she smiled and then walked over to the counter to pour herself some coffee.

“Oh, and Phryne?”

“Hm?”

“I read the news this morning.”

Phryne looked at Jack curiously, not sure where this was going. “Yes?”

“They’re considering another lockdown.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so I had planned to have the last chapter as a follow-up in the present day, under the assumption that things would somewhat be back to normal at this point.... obviously that is not currently the case in Melbourne. 
> 
> Because of this, I also didn't include the BBQ with Jack's family (add to that that his parents are in a risk-group), though never say never that that won't be a separate follow-up fic. I see, and highly appreciate the interest in it, in any case!!   
> And if there are any other scenarios you'd like to see within this universe, let me know! I can't guarantee when it'll get written but I admittedly have gotten a bit attached to quarantine Phrack 😂.
> 
> So yes, once again, thank you for all your comments and support, I am so happy that you enjoyed this project and stuck with it through irregular updates. ❤️❤️❤️ YOU ARE ALL SO MUCH APPRECIATED.
> 
> Next up for me are maybe a few smaller projects, depending how my time allows it (sadly looks like that will be a bit sparse), and then Inktober is already waving at me from 2 months away. 😅
> 
> Lastly, I'm positive that both Phryne and Jack would responsibly wear their facemasks ❤️


End file.
